Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve has recorded a steady inflow of domestic and international tourists, welcoming a total of 11,603 visitors so far in the current fiscal year 2081/82 BS.
According to Reserve Chief and Senior Conservation Officer Bhupendra Prasad Yadav, the overwhelming majority of visitors were domestic tourists. Of the total arrivals, 11,214 visitors came from within Nepal.
Similarly, the reserve received 87 visitors from SAARC member countries, including 42 women and 45 men, while 302 tourists - comprising 151 women and 151 men - arrived from other foreign nations.
Situated across the islands and floodplains formed by the Saptakoshi River in Sunsari and Saptari districts, the reserve is internationally recognized for its population of endangered wild water buffaloes, locally known as Arna.
Covering an area of 348 square kilometres, including a 173-square-kilometre buffer zone, the reserve remains Nepal’s only designated wildlife reserve and one of the country’s most ecologically significant wetland ecosystems.
The reserve provides critical habitat for a diverse range of wildlife species, including indigenous wild buffaloes, gharial and mugger crocodiles, Gangetic dolphins, and numerous species of freshwater fish and migratory birds.
Recognizing its global ecological importance, the wetland area was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 1987 as a Wetland of International Importance.
Conservationists also regard Koshi Tappu as an important biological corridor connecting eastern India, supporting cross-border biodiversity conservation and facilitating wildlife movement.
Although the reserve is home to relatively few large carnivores apart from leopards, it remains an important representation of the unique forest ecosystem, biodiversity, and natural landscape of Nepal’s eastern Tarai and Madhesh region.
Tourism officials and conservation authorities believe the increasing visitor flow reflects growing interest in eco-tourism and wildlife-based travel experiences in eastern Nepal.
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