Rara National Park - Boom of Natural Beauty

RARA NATIONAL PARK

Area: 106 sq. km
Established: 1976

LOCATION:
Rara National Park is located in North-West Nepal about 371 km. air distance from Kathmandu. Most of the park, including Lake Para, lies in the Mugu District; a small area in the Jumla District of the Karnali Zone. This is the smallest park in Nepal, containing the country's biggest lake (10.8 sq. km.) at an elevation of 2990 m.

FEATURES:
Park elevations range from 1800 m. to 4048 m. The park contains mainly coniferous forest. The area around the lake is dominated by blue pine, black juniper, West Himalayan spruce, oak, Himalayan cypress and other associated species. At about 3350 m. pine and spruce give way to fir, oak and birch. Deciduous tree species like Indian hours-chestnut, walnut and Himalayan popula are also found. A small portion of the park serves as an ideal habitat for musk deer. Other animals found in the park include Himalayan black bear, leopard, goral, Himalayan tahr, and wild boar. Snow trout is the only fish species recorded in the lake. Resident Gallinaceous birds and migrant waterfowl are of interest to park visitors. The great-crested grebe, black-necked grebe, and red-crested pochard are seen during winter. Other common birds are the snow cock, chukor partridge, Impeyuan pheasant, kalij pheasant, and blood pheasant.

Amir Shrestha
source: http://birding.about.com