Shuklaphanta national park reopens for jungle safari

Kanchanpur: Shuklaphanta National Park has reopened its doors to tourists for jungle safaris, starting last Thursday. The park had remained closed longer than usual this year due to damages caused by floods last June, which destroyed bridges and roads along the tourist paths.

Manoj Ayer, Shuklaphanta National Park Conservation Officer, stated that repairs to the infrastructure delayed the reopening. “Floods damaged all the bridges and roads inside the park, which took time to fix, leading to the delayed opening,” he explained.

Spanning 350 square kilometers, Shuklaphanta National Park is renowned for its wildlife, particularly its large population of twelve-horned deer. The park's expansive grasslands also host herds of over 2,000 elephants and are home to 44 tigers, according to the latest park census. Additionally, the park is known for its rare wildlife species, including rhinoceroses, and a variety of flora.

The park houses 12 species of reptiles, 20 amphibians, 24 fish species, 35 types of butterflies, 90 nilgai, and 449 species of birds, as per the 2013 census. Rare species like the stork, Kharamjur, Sim titra, Rajdhesh, and Lesser Bhudiphor can also be found. In total, there are over 53 mammal species, including tigers, one-horned rhinoceroses, two-horned elephants, krishnasar, and more.

Last year, Shuklaphanta National Park welcomed 3,067 visitors, of which only 250 were foreign tourists.