Photo: Hopingyousuf · CC BY-SA 4.0National Parks / Shuklaphanta
Est. 1976 · National park 2017
Surreal open grasslands in Nepal's far south-west, home to Asia's largest herd of swamp deer — and the tigers that hunt them.
In Nepal's far south-western corner lies Shuklaphanta — a park of surreal open grasslands, sal forest and tropical wetlands, home to one of Asia's greatest concentrations of swamp deer.
Covering 305 km² in the Sudurpaschim Province at an elevation of 174 to 1,386 m, the park is bounded by the Mahakali river to the west and south. It was gazetted in 1976 as the Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and declared a national park in 2017. A buffer zone of 243.5 km² was added in 2004. The park takes its name from the Shukla Phanta — the largest patch of continuous grassland in Nepal.
A corridor north of the Mahendra Highway links the park to the Sivalik Hills, allowing seasonal wildlife migration.
Photo: Hopingyousuf · CC BY-SA 4.0The Grasslands
The Shukla Phanta grassland — around 54.5 km² — is one of the largest in South Asia, and the stage for one of the continent's most remarkable wildlife spectacles: a herd of more than 2,000 swamp deer (barasingha). Park managers burn and cut grassland plots on rotation to keep this prime habitat productive through the dry season.
Wildlife
Beyond the swamp deer, Shuklaphanta shelters big cats, rhinos and a rich bird community.
Photo: Davidvraju · CC BY-SA 4.0Asia's largest herd — over 2,000 — grazes the phantas.
Vulnerable
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0Around 36–43 adult tigers prey on the abundant deer.
Endangered
Photo: Shadow Ayush · CC BY-SA 4.0Blackbuck on the grasslands, alongside a small rhino population.
Visiting
Remote, uncrowded and wonderfully wild — a connoisseur's Terai park.
Drives across the phantas for swamp deer, blackbuck and the chance of tiger.
450+ species across grassland, forest and wetland; Rani Tal is a highlight.
Vast, savanna-like horizons rare elsewhere in Nepal.
Reference