Nepal travel update — most destinations remain accessible. Some Rasuwa and affected routes are disrupted. View latest information
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Explore Nepal

Wild Encounters.
Unforgettable Memories.

From the jungle floor to the roof of the world — in Nepal, the wild is never far away.

Explore the Wild Side of Nepal

Nepal Is Wild at Every Elevation

Journey through the subtropical forests and grasslands of the Terai in search of Bengal tigers and greater one-horned rhinoceroses. Watch elephants move through forests, gharials rest along riverbanks and countless birds gather around wetlands.

Climb higher and the wildlife changes with the landscape. Red pandas hide among mountain forests, Himalayan tahr and blue sheep navigate steep slopes, and somewhere among the rocks and snow lives one of the world’s most elusive predators: the snow leopard.

From tigers to tiny endemic birds, from crocodiles and fish to freshwater dolphins, and from tropical forests to the high Himalayas — Nepal is wild at every elevation.

Photograph requiredInsert an authentic, credited photograph of Nepal here.

The Wild Terai

Grasslands, Forests and Floodplains

Nepal’s southern plains hold dense forests, wetlands and sweeping grasslands. This is where visitors come in search of the Bengal tiger and the greater one-horned rhinoceros, alongside Asian elephants, gharials, sloth bears and an extraordinary range of birdlife.

National parks and conservation areas protect these landscapes while giving visitors opportunities to experience Nepal’s wild side responsibly, with trained naturalists and licensed local guides.

FeaturedChitwan • Bardia • Koshi Tappu • Shuklaphanta • Parsa

Plan a Wildlife Journey
Into The High Himalayas

Into the High Himalayas

Where Few Animals — and Fewer People — Go

Above the treeline the wild becomes harder to find, and all the more remarkable when you do. Himalayan tahr and blue sheep navigate near-vertical slopes. Red pandas shelter in mountain forests. Himalayan monal move through the rhododendron.

And somewhere among the rock and snow lives the snow leopard — so elusive that seeing one is a privilege, never a guarantee.

FeaturedSagarmatha • Langtang • Annapurna • Manaslu • Shey Phoksundo • Dhorpatan

Explore the High Himalaya

Photo: [Photographer Name] / [Location, Nepal] / [Source]

Species & Habitats

One Country. Many Wild Worlds.

Wildlife statistics on this site always show the survey or reference year, so figures can be updated when new official data become available.

The Return of the TigerTiger conservation is one of Nepal’s conservation success stories. Any population figure published here always carries its survey year.
The One-Horned GiantThe greater one-horned rhinoceros is among Nepal’s most recognisable wildlife, protected in the grasslands and riverine forests of the Terai.
The Red PandaShy, solitary and dependent on healthy mountain forest, the red panda is a flagship species for Himalayan forest conservation.
A Paradise for BirdsFrom Terai wetlands to high Himalayan valleys, Nepal’s range of elevations supports an extraordinary diversity of resident and migratory birds.
Rivers Full of LifeHimalayan rivers support gharials, otters, freshwater dolphins and remarkable fish species, connecting mountain snow to the plains.
Ancient SurvivorsGharials and other ancient reptiles persist along Nepal’s riverbanks, supported by breeding and release programmes.
Small WondersButterflies, amphibians, insects and endemic plants form the less-photographed foundation of Nepal’s biodiversity.
Dhorpatan Hunting ReserveNepal’s only hunting reserve, where activity is regulated through authorisation, specified areas and annual quotas. Consult the official department for current rules.

How to Experience Wildlife in Nepal

Watch. Wonder. Respect. Protect.

  • Go with trained naturalists and licensed local guides.
  • Keep a respectful distance and never bait, chase or crowd an animal.
  • Never disturb wildlife for a photograph.
  • Follow park rules, permits and the instructions of park staff.
  • Stay on designated routes and respect closed or sensitive areas.
  • Choose operators who employ and train local people.

Seeing a wild animal is a privilege — not a guarantee. That is exactly what makes it unforgettable.

Protected for the Future

Conservation Is a Shared Responsibility

Nepal’s national parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas protect habitat across every elevation band, from the Terai floodplains to the high Himalaya. Community forestry and buffer-zone programmes mean local people are partners in protection, not bystanders.

Wildlife photography ruleDo not present a tiger photographed in India, a snow leopard photographed in Mongolia or a red panda in a zoo as though it were photographed in Nepal. For rare and endangered species, never disclose den sites, nesting locations or GPS coordinates.

In Nepal, the wild is never far away — from the jungle floor to the roof of the world.

Wild Encounters.
Unforgettable Memories.

Plan Your Visit Explore Nepal’s Nature

Photography, data & sensitive locations

Every photograph on this page must be an authentic photograph of Nepal, not an AI-generated representation, whenever the image is presented as a real destination.

Credit format: Photo: Photographer Name / Location, Nepal / Source. Where licensing requires it, the credit links to the original photograph or licensing page. An internal record is kept containing image location, photographer, source, licence and original URL.

Credit format for wildlife: Photo: Photographer Name / Location, Nepal / Source. For rare and endangered wildlife, precise den sites, nesting locations and GPS coordinates are never published.

Hunting-related information links to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation rather than displaying permanent prices, quotas or permit conditions, because those change.