430 tourists visit Banke National Park

Nepalgunj, May 25: More than four hundred domestic and foreign tourists have visited the Banke National Park in the past 10 months.     

According to conservation officer at BNP, Mandip Pangeni, total 430 tourists (both domestic and foreign) visited and observed the wildlife in the park. They also enjoyed the homestay facilities run in the centre of the park in the last 10 months.     

Among these tourists, the highest number was recorded in December with 82, while the least in July with 12 last year.     

There were only 21 tourists from SAARC countries. The chief and senior conservation officer at BNP, Birendra Prasad Kandel, stated that although they achieved success in conserving tiger, more efforts were required for enhancing ecotourism.     

He mentioned that the park had constructed a 200-km forest trail, managed grasslands and artificial water ponds for the convenience of tourists and wildlife. Kandel emphasized effective management of safaris along with homestay and hotels in the surrounding areas.     

The latest survey recorded 25 adult tigers in BNP. The park chief Kandel informed many endangered species were protected in the park.     

Of total 422 species of wildlife, 34 are mammal, 276 bird, 24 reptiles, 9 amphibians, and 55 fish.     

Illegal poaching, human-wildlife conflict, forest fires, encroachment, and the spread of invasive species, rapid urbanization are some of the pressing challenges facing the BNP, it was shared.(RSS)