Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve

The Suklaphanta National Wildlife Refuge, also called Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife reserve in Nepal. It occupies an area of 305 square kilometers and consists of grasslands, forests, river valleys and tropical wetlands at altitudes 74-1386 meters. The game reserve was established in 1973 as Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. The boundaries of the game reserve were placed so that the wildlife of the reserve in the Siwaliks, the outermost Vorgebirgskette of the Himalayas, can migrate. The southern and the western boundary of the game reserve are identical to the border with India. In the south also borders the Kishanpur National Wildlife Refuge, which was established in India under the protection measures for tigers.

Climate

The region's climate is subtropical monsoon climate with an annual rainfall of 1,579 millimeters. The monsoon season falls in the period from June to September, most rainfall is in August. The winter months of December and January are relatively cold. Daytime temperatures range 7-12 ° C, occasionally it comes to frost. As of February daytime temperatures soar, come in March daytime temperatures up to 25 ° C before and towards the end of April, 42 ° C.

Vegetation

The game reserve bears his name after the Prairie ( sukla Phanta ), which accounts for approximately 16 square kilometers of the area. It is the largest contiguous grassland area in Nepal. Among the most important types of grass Imperata cylindrica and include Heteropogon contortus. Reeds (Phragmites ) and Sachharum spontaneum grow in the reed beds of the seven small lakes. The forests consist mainly of Salbäumen. On the river banks grow Gerber acacia and Dalbergien.

Fauna

The spacious open grasslands and the wetlands around the lakes are home to several rare species. In the rivers, lakes and ponds 27 different types of fish. Here lives also classified as endangered marsh crocodile and tiger pythons. In the area of the game reserve also come Bengalenwarane, cobra and krait.

Mammals

The mammalian fauna includes 46 species, 18 of which fall under the CITES Convention. These include the Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Barasingha, Asian Elephant and the bristle rabbits, of which one was in the meantime convinced that it had become extinct worldwide. Due to the rarity of the occurrence bristle rabbit comes in a wildlife reserve in front of international importance. The stock of Barasinghas is the largest in the world.

Some rhinos from Chitwan National Park were settled in the territory of Suklaphanta Game Reserve to establish order on Nepalese territory a third, viable population.

Avifauna

423 different bird species have been counted so far in the field of game reserve. The reserve represents the western limit of distribution of the rare swamp francolin dar. Also, the Jerdon - Schmätzer ( Saxicola jerdoni ), the cat grass singer ( Griminicola bengalensis ), the Rotkäppchentimalie ( Timalia pileata ) and the Goldaugentimalie ( Chrysomma altirostre ) have here their westernmost area of ​​distribution. The game reserve is also the eastern distribution area for the grosbeak weaver ( Ploceus megarhynchus ) and the most important wintering area of Mattenschmätzers ( Saxicola insignis ).

Among the more frequently represented in the area bird species include Water Rail, Yellow Wagtail, Little Grebe, Eastern Graseule, Palm Dove, Bart bustard, curlew and nude reins singer ( Chaetornis striatus).