Banke National park, established 2010 as the tenth park of the country in terms of history, with the total area of 550 square kilometers and the buffer zone of 343 square kilometers, lies in province 5, Nepal. This National park borders Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary in India to the southern part . This link is established by means of national and community forest in Nepal. Banke National Park is further linked to Bardiya National Park to the west. Banke National Park in its buffer zone contains almost 5000 households that comprise population from communities such as Tharus, Brahmins, Chhetris, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, and Majhis, all of whom mostly earn their bread and butter by traditional agriculture, and meager percentage, say ten, are engaged in trade and other sorts of labor.
The climate of the park manifests in three forms of seasons viz: winter , summer and monsoon. The weather remains dry from October through April, when days are warm and nights are coolly pleasant. the temperature begins to rise from late April and reaches its peak with almost 45 degree centigrade by the end of May. Months of July and September are characterized with heavy rainfall.
Banke National park provides habitats for 125 species of vegetation , 34 mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 58 fish species and 7 sorts of amphibians.
There is a teaching hospital about 50 kilometers from the park head office , and the buffer zone contains few health posts. You need not worry about facilities of hotels, lodges and communication. If you are willing to visit interior parts of the park in your private taxi or hired one, fueling the tank full will be a good idea.
If Kathmandu is the place for you from where you have to go to Banke National Park, flights and bus services are easily available from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, from where the park head office lies within an hour’s drive. If your visit begins from Mahendrananagar or Dhangadi from far western side of Nepal, it is an eight-hour and a seven-hour bus ride to the park area respectively.
-Article written by: Bedu Khatiwoda for Land Nepal
