Rara National Park and Buffer Zone (14341)
Nepal, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Rara National Park and Buffer Zone
Central coordinates: Latitude: 29.5667, Longitude: 82.0833
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1800 to 4087
Area of KBA (km2): 100.34511
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Rara National Park, the smallest protected area in Nepal lies in the northwest of the country in Mugu and Jumla districts.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: A total of 296 bird species are listed for RNPBZ (BCN and DNPWC 2015). The Buffer Zone could be especially important for the globally threatened resident Cheer Pheasant. <br>Other globally threatened species recorded are: Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus and Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis (current status of both species is unknown). <br>The park is important for three restricted-range species from the Western Himalayas (EBA 128): Cheer Pheasant, White-throated Tit and Kashmir Nuthatch which are all resident.<div>A total of 49 wetland species has been recorded so far, although only small numbers are involved (BCN and DNPWC 2015).<br><p>Non-bird biodiversity: A total of 52 mammal species has been recorded from RNPBZ including the globally threatened Red Panda Ailurus fulgens, Himalayan Black Bear Ursus thibetanus and Himalayan Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster and near-threatened Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus, Himalayan Goral Naemorhedus goral and Common Otter Lutra lutra (DNPWC 2010). The lake harbours three endemic species of Himalayan Snow Trout: Schizothorax macropthalus S. nepalensis and S. raraensis (Terashima 1984). An estimated 1024 plant species have been recorded (BPP 1995) including 16 species of Nepal endemic flowering plants (Shrestha and Joshi, 1996).</p></div>
Manageability of the site: Site identified based on BirdLife International's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, under which manageability is strongly recommended but not explicitly documented
Delineation rationale: Protected IBAs extended to include designated Buffer Zones
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Vegetation in the park comprises: upper temperate forests of Pinus wallichiana, sometimes mixed with Quercus semecarpifolia, and Picea smithiana; subalpine forests of Abies spectabilis and Betula utilis-Rhododendron campanulatum and moist alpine scrub and meadows higher up according to BPP (1995). <div>The total area of the park and Buffer Zone (RNPBZ) is 30,400ha, comprising 60.25% forest, 6.56% shrubland, 18.24% grassland, 11.04% cultivated land, 3.49% lake, 0.33% other water bodies, and 0.09% sandy area (DNPWC 2012).</div>
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 10 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 10 | |
| Forest | 80 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Massive illegal domestic grazing inside the Park and buffer zone; Lack of research and baseline data on water quality, aquatic biodiversity, aquatic habitat management; Increasing sedimentation in the Rara Lake, Illegal fishing, Presence of invasive species in rangelands, High pressure of livestock on rangelands, Inadequate research on status of keyspecies; Illegal smuggling of timber from the Park; Lack of integrated wetland management plan; poor Coordination: no formal established coordination menchanism; Forest fire; Poaching of wildlife species; Pollution of the lake by sedimentation from adjacent hills, by discharge of domestic sewage and wallow of livestock; Eastern boundary of the lake is said to be prone to bursting ; Siltation in the river mainly due to decomposed leaf litters and soil erosion
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: <div>Biodiversity Profile Projects. (1995) Biodiversity Profile of High Mountains and High Himal</div><div>Bird Conservation Nepal and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2015) Birds of Rara. Bird Conservation Nepal and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu.</div><div>Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2010) Rara National Park and Buffer Zone management plan (2010-2014). Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu.</div><div>Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2012) Annual Report, Fiscal Year July 2011-July 2012, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu.</div>Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2014) Rara National Park Management Plan (draft). Kathmandu.<div>Shrestha, TB and Joshi, RM (1996) Rare, Endemic and endangered plants of Nepal. WWF Nepal Program, Kathmandu.</div><div>Terashima, A, (1984) Three new species of the cyprinoids Genus Schizothorax from lake Rara, North Western Nepal. Jap. J. Icht. 31(2): 122-135.</div>
Contributors: Site identified based on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas by the BirdLife International Partnership