| Parsa National Park | |||||
| Iucn Category: | II | ||||
| Location: | Nepal | ||||
| Nearest City: | Birgunj | ||||
| Map: | Nepal | ||||
| Label: | Parsa National Park | ||||
| Label Position: | top | ||||
| Relief: | 1 | ||||
| Area: | 627.39km2 | ||||
| Established: | 1984 as Wildlife Reserve, 2017 as National Park | ||||
| Governing Body: | Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation | ||||
| Embedded: |
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Parsa National Park is a national park in the Terai of south-central Nepal covering an area of in the Parsa, Makwanpur and Bara Districts and ranging in elevation from in the Sivalik Hills. It was established as a wildlife reserve in 1984 and received national park status in 2017. It is surrounded by a buffer zone since 2005 with an area of .[1] In 2015, the protected area was further extended by .[2]
To the north of Parsa National Park, the East Rapti River and Sivalik Hills form a natural boundary to human settlements. To the east, the boundary extends up to the Hetauda–Birgunj highway; to the south, a forest road demarcates the park's boundary. To the west is Chitwan National Park, which is situated just north of Valmiki National Park, a tiger reserve in India. Thus, this transnational protected area of represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Chitwan–Parsa–Valmiki, which covers a total of in the Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands.[3]
Before being converted to a protected area, the region was a private game reserve and hunting park for both the British and Nepalese elite.[1] [4]
The typical vegetation in the park consists of sal forest constituting about 90% of the area. Chir pine grows in the Churia Hills; Khair, sissoo and silk cotton trees occur along watercourses. Sabai grass grows well on the southern face of the Churia Hills.[4] An estimated 919 floral species have been recorded including 298 vascular plants, 234 dicots, 58 monocots, five pteridophytes, and one gymnosperm.[1]
A census conducted in May 2008 confirmed the presence of 37 gaurs.[5] Four adult Bengal tigers were estimated to be resident in the Parsa National Park in 2008.[6] A three-month camera trapping survey in February 2017 revealed the presence of 19 Bengal tigers, indicating a substantial increase of the population.[7] As of 2015, three Indian rhinoceros have been recorded in the national park.[8]
Reptiles present include the mugger crocodile, king cobra, monocled cobra, Russell's viperr, elongated tortoise, Indian softshell turtle, Indian black turtle, Indian flapshell turtle, Oriental garden lizard and Oriental rat snake.[9]