Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is a protected area in the Terai
of eastern Nepal
covering 175 km² (67.6 sq mi) of wetlands in the Sunsari
, Saptari
and Udayapur District
s. In altitude it ranges from 75 to 81 m (246.1 to 265.7 ft) and consists of extensive mudflats, reed beds, and freshwater marshes in the floodplain of the Sapta Kosi River. It was established in 1976 and designated as a Ramsar site in December 1987.
It can be accessed from the Mahendra Highway
.
A study of the reserve was conducted between 1997 to 1998 by the Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University
in Kathmandu. The study found serious conflicts between the reserve wildlife and the local people living adjacent to the reserve. The people suffered crop depredations and animal harassment while the reserve managers had the problems of poaching
, cattle grazing, and other illegal activities in the reserve. The study has several recommendations, one of which is the promotion of tourism to the area with the reserve using local tourist guides trained by wildlife experts.
. Patches of Khair
forest are more prevalent towards the northwestern part. The
grasslands near the running water bodies are maintained by the annual flooding and grazing by wildlife. The Sapta Koshi River, a tributary of the Ganges, causes rapid and intense flooding during the rainy season
. In the extensive wetlands, some 514 species of plants are found including Kapok
, Sugarcane
, reed
, Cattail, Imperata cylindrica, eel grass, and species of Eichornia, Hydrilla
, Azolla and Lotus
.
species, nine frog
species, six lizard
species, five snake
species, 11 turtle
species are recorded. Gharial
and Mugger crocodile
occur as well.
, Spotted deer, Hog deer
, Wild pig, Smooth-coated otter
and Golden jackal
. The Ganges River Dolphin has been sighted in the Koshi River. Gaur
and Blue bull have declined in numbers. Nepal’s last remaining population of about 150 Wild Asian Water Buffalo
called arna inhabit the area.
, Indian nightjar
, Dusky eagleowl, Black-headed cuckooshrike, Whitetailed stonechat, Striated grassbird, Large adjutant stork, Pallas’s fish eagle, Common golden-eye, and Gullbilled tern. Bengal Florican
, Swamp Francolin
and Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia
occur as well.
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
of eastern Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
covering 175 km² (67.6 sq mi) of wetlands in the Sunsari
Sunsari District
Sunsari District of 625,633.The area was originally part of Morang but became its own district in 1962 when Nepal was divided into 14 zones and 75 districts....
, Saptari
Saptari District
Saptari District of 570,282. Saptari is renowned for its agricultural output, and is bordered on the east by the massive Sapt Koshi river.Significant towns are Rajbiraj, the district centre, Hanumannagar, and Fattepur with the area government "Matsya Palan Kendra" fish farm.The famous Chhinna...
and Udayapur District
Udayapur District
-Village Development Committees :*Aaptar*Balamta*Baraha*Barre*Basabote*Bashasa*Beltar*Bhumarashuwa*Bhuttar*Chaudandi*Dumre*Gaighat*Hadiya*Hardeni*Iname*Jalpachilaune*Jante*Jogidaha*Katari*Katunjebawala*Khanbu*Laphagaun*Lekhani*Lekhgaun...
s. In altitude it ranges from 75 to 81 m (246.1 to 265.7 ft) and consists of extensive mudflats, reed beds, and freshwater marshes in the floodplain of the Sapta Kosi River. It was established in 1976 and designated as a Ramsar site in December 1987.
It can be accessed from the Mahendra Highway
Mahendra Highway
Mahendra Highway also called East West Highway runs across the Terai region of Nepal, from Kankarbhitta in the east to Mahendranagar in the west, cutting across the entire width of the country. It is the longest highway in Nepal.-Overview:...
.
A study of the reserve was conducted between 1997 to 1998 by the Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University
Tribhuvan University [त्रिभुवन विश्वविध्यालय] is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest of the five universities in Nepal...
in Kathmandu. The study found serious conflicts between the reserve wildlife and the local people living adjacent to the reserve. The people suffered crop depredations and animal harassment while the reserve managers had the problems of poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
, cattle grazing, and other illegal activities in the reserve. The study has several recommendations, one of which is the promotion of tourism to the area with the reserve using local tourist guides trained by wildlife experts.
Vegetation
The vegetation of the reserve is mainly characterised by mixed deciduous riverine forest, grasslands and marshy vegetation. The coverage of grasslands is 68%, compared to only about 6% of forest, which is predominated by SissoDalbergia sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo, known as Shisham, is an erect deciduous tree, native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is also called sissoo, sisu, sheesham, tahli and sometimes referred to as Indian Rosewood. It is state tree of Punjab state and provincial tree of Punjab province...
. Patches of Khair
Acacia catechu
Acacia catechu also commonly called Mimosa catechu, is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to in height. The plant is called khair in Hindi, and kachu in Malay, hence the name was Latinized to "catechu" in Linnaean taxonomy, as the type-species from which the extracts cutch and catechu are...
forest are more prevalent towards the northwestern part. The
grasslands near the running water bodies are maintained by the annual flooding and grazing by wildlife. The Sapta Koshi River, a tributary of the Ganges, causes rapid and intense flooding during the rainy season
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
. In the extensive wetlands, some 514 species of plants are found including Kapok
Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba, like other trees of the genus Bombax, is commonly known as cotton tree or tree cotton. This tropical tree has a straight tall trunk and its leaves are deciduous in winter. Red flowers with 5 petals appear in the spring before the new foliage. It produces a capsule which, when ripe,...
, Sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
, reed
Reed
- Musical instruments :* Single-reed instrument, a woodwind instrument that uses only one reed to produce sound* Double reed instrument, a woodwind instrument that uses two reeds to produce sound...
, Cattail, Imperata cylindrica, eel grass, and species of Eichornia, Hydrilla
Hydrilla
Hydrilla is an aquatic plant genus, usually treated as containing just one species, Hydrilla verticillata, though some botanists divide it into several species. Synonyms include H. asiatica, H. japonica, H. lithuanica, and H. ovalifolica...
, Azolla and Lotus
Lotus (plant)
Lotus identifies various plant taxa:* Nelumbo, a genus of aquatic plants with showy flowers** Nelumbo nucifera, the Sacred or Indian lotus** Nelumbo lutea, the American or Yellow lotus...
.
Fauna
A wide range of faunal species inhabit the protected area. In its water courses and ponds, 200 species of fish have been recorded, most of which are resident. Two toadToad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
species, nine frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
species, six lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
species, five snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
species, 11 turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
species are recorded. Gharial
Gharial
The gharial , , also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts...
and Mugger crocodile
Mugger Crocodile
The mugger crocodile , also called the Indian, Indus, Persian, or marsh crocodile, is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and the surrounding countries...
occur as well.
Mammals
The 31 species of mammals recorded include the Asian elephantAsian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
, Spotted deer, Hog deer
Hog Deer
The Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
, Wild pig, Smooth-coated otter
Smooth-coated Otter
The Smooth-coated Otter is a species of otter, the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale. The species is found from southern Pakistan and parts of the India east to Southeast Asia, and there is a disjunct population in Iraq...
and Golden jackal
Golden Jackal
The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
. The Ganges River Dolphin has been sighted in the Koshi River. Gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
and Blue bull have declined in numbers. Nepal’s last remaining population of about 150 Wild Asian Water Buffalo
Wild Asian Water Buffalo
The wild water buffalo also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo is a large bovine native to Southeast Asia...
called arna inhabit the area.
Birds
Notable among the 485 bird species are WatercockWatercock
The Watercock Gallicrex cinerea is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. It is the only member of the genus Gallicrex....
, Indian nightjar
Indian Nightjar
The Indian Nightjar is a small nightjar which is a resident breeder in open lands across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Like most nightjars it is crepuscular and is best detected from its characteristic calls at dawn and dusk that have been likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake - a series...
, Dusky eagleowl, Black-headed cuckooshrike, Whitetailed stonechat, Striated grassbird, Large adjutant stork, Pallas’s fish eagle, Common golden-eye, and Gullbilled tern. Bengal Florican
Bengal Florican
The Bengal Florican , also called Bengal Bustard, is a very rare bustard species from tropical southern Asia. It is the only member of the genus Houbaropsis...
, Swamp Francolin
Swamp Francolin
The Swamp Partridge or Swamp Francolin is a species of partridge found in parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh mostly in the Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys.-Description:From Frank Finn's The Game Birds of India & Asia :...
and Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia
Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia
Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia is a small warbler and sub-species of Rufous-vented Prinia. It was discovered in the southern grasslands of Nepal....
occur as well.