Nepal

Nepal spans an extraordinary elevational gradient from 60m in the subtropical Terai to 8,849m at the summit of Sagarmatha (Everest), creating one of the world's most compressed biodiversity zones. Within 200km as the crow flies, habitats transition from lowland Sal forest and elephant grasslands through subtropical and temperate broadleaf forests, rhododendron cloud forests, alpine meadows, to permanent snow and ice. This gradient supports an estimated 903 bird species (more than all of Europe combined), 208 mammals, 123 reptiles, 117 amphibians, and over 7,000 flowering plant species. The Terai Arc Landscape in the south harbours Nepal's megafauna — tigers (355, 2022 census), greater one-horned rhinos (752, 2021 census), Asian elephants (~200), and gharials (~200) — while the northern Himalaya supports snow leopards (~300-400), red pandas (~1,000), and wild yak. Nepal's protected area network covers 23.39% of total land area, exceeding the Aichi Biodiversity Target of 17%. Key biodiversity hotspots include Chitwan National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site, premier tiger and rhino habitat), Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (Ramsar wetland, critical waterbird staging site and only wild buffalo population), Sagarmatha National Park (highest-elevation protected area on Earth), and Bardia National Park (the largest undisturbed wilderness in the Terai). Nepal has achieved notable conservation successes: near-tripling of wild tiger numbers since 2009, multiple zero-poaching years for rhinos, establishment of Asia's first Vulture Safe Zones reversing catastrophic vulture declines, and community forestry programmes that have reversed deforestation in the mid-hills. However, threats persist: infrastructure development (Terai highway expansion, hydropower dams), human-wildlife conflict intensifying as wildlife populations recover, climate change driving treeline shifts and glacial lake outburst risks, and habitat fragmentation from agricultural expansion. Nepal's trajectory is cautiously positive for its flagship species but increasingly challenging for less charismatic taxa, freshwater ecosystems, and high-altitude biodiversity (IUCN Red List 2025).