KANCHANPUR: A total of 2,388 tourists visited Shuklaphanta National Park, Kanchanpur, in the first six months of the current fiscal year. Of the total visitors, 1,160 were women and 1,228 were men. The majority, 2,181, were domestic tourists.
According to Purushottam Wagle, Information Officer at the Park Office, 90 visitors were from SAARC countries, including 27 women and 63 men.
Additionally, 117 foreign tourists visited the park during this period, comprising 48 women and 69 men. The highest number of visitors was recorded in Chaitra, with 520 tourists entering the park.
Established in 2031 BS and covering an area of 305 square kilometers, Shuklaphanta National Park is notable for having one of the densest tiger populations in a small area.
The park is also famous for hosting the world’s largest herd of swamp deer (barasinghe) and is the largest grassland habitat within Nepal’s protected area network.
The park is home to over 53 species of mammals, including wild elephants, leopards, one-horned rhinoceroses, blackbucks, wild buffaloes, wild boars, deer, chitals, langurs, and Asiatic jackals.
Mugger crocodiles inhabit several water bodies within the park, including the picturesque Rani Lake.
In addition to its mammal population, the park hosts more than 449 species of birds—both native and migratory. It also shelters 12 species of reptiles, 20 species of amphibians, 24 species of fish, and 35 species of butterflies, making it a rich destination for wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike.
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