Banke National Park aims to draw 2000 visitors in a year

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Apr. 22: Banke National Park has made preparations to attract 2,000 tourists in the year 2081 BS. 

Banke National Park is the country’s youngest national park established in 2010 to protect the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger, also known as Pate Bagh. 

Manoj Kumar Shah, Senior Conservation Officer, said that all preparations have been completed to welcome more domestic and foreign tourists. Stating that more than 500 tourists visited the park the previous year, he said that the work has been carried out as per the plan to attract 2,000 tourists this year. 

According to Shah, they have kept all its forest trails open to both domestic and foreign tourists. The arrangement has been made to book tickets at any time from the park office Obhari and Kohalpur-based sector office. 

Officer Shah said that the construction of infrastructure along with conservation in the park area was carried out for 13 years after its establishment and now the tourism promotion has been kept in the priority.

Infrastructures such as platforms, grasslands, artificial ponds and forest paths have been constructed for the observation of wildlife inside the park.

Shah informed that two more ponds were being constructed in the current fiscal year to prevent the shortage of drinking water for wildlife inside the park during the summer season. 

"It is expected that people will be able to see tigers swimming in the Jalsaini area of the park.  The plan has moved ahead to develop reservoirs and wetlands," he said.

The tourists can see the rare species of wildlife including tigers in the park area. Almost all the forest paths within the park are currently operational and the park is preparing to ensure that there is no shortage of any things. 

The number of tigers in the park has increased from four to 25 now and the number of prey species for tigers has also increased, according to the park.