Bardia National Park (14324)
Nepal, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2005
National site name: Bardia National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: 28.4667, Longitude: 81.4667
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 152 to 1441
Area of KBA (km2): 1486.0463
Protected area coverage (%): 95.58
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Royal Bardia National Park is situated in southwest Nepal, 396 km west of Kathmandu in the Bardia district of Bheri Zone. Much of the park is in the bhabar zone and consists of a broad alluvial plain that slopes gently away from the foothills of the Himalayan Churia Range in the northeast to India in the southwest. The Babai and Geruwa are two large rivers that flow into the park, the latter being a branch of the Karnali River. About 70% of the park is covered by sal Shorea robusta forest; there are also riverine forests of Khair Acacia catechu and Sissoo Dalbergia sissoo in the lowlands and Terminalia-Anogeissus deciduous forest and Chir Pine Pinus roxburghii forest in the hills. The other main habitats of the park are grassland and savannah.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Eastern Himalayas Hotspot (2005). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat category follow the 2002 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: A total of 426 species of birds has been recorded in the national park including 11 globally threatened species (Tiger Tops in prep.). The park is particularly important for Bengal Florican. Over half of Nepal's near-threatened birds have also been found, including eight wetland species. Bardia has large areas of dry tropical forests and is known to support significant populations of species characteristic of the Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone biome. There are also extensive dry subtropical forests that support significant populations of species characteristic of the dry Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest biome. Non-bird biodiversity: A total of 37 species of mammals has been recorded in the national park (Upreti 1994). Globally threatened species of wildlife include the Ganges River Dolphin Platanista gangetica, Asiatic Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata, Tiger Panthera tigris, Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Barasingha Cervus duvauceli, Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus, Gharial Gavialis gangeticus and Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris (Upreti 1994, Hilton-Taylor 2000). The Indian Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis has been re-introduced from Chitwan and 50 individuals survive here (Shiva Raj Bhatta verbally 2000).
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Inskipp and Inskipp (1983), Dinerstein (1979, 1987), Bell (1987), Inskipp (1989a), Halliday and Baral (1992), Green (1993), Upreti (1994), Timilsina et al. (2000), WWF Nepal Program (2000a, b), Inskipp and Inskipp (2001b), Baral et al. (2002, 2003).