Parsa National Park

Parsa National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Indian pitta at Parsa National Park
Parsa National Park
Location	Nepal
Nearest city	Birgunj
Coordinates	27°28′N 84°20′E / 27.467°N 84.333°E / 27.467; 84.333
Area	627.39 km2 (242.24 sq mi)
Established	1984 as Wildlife Reserve, 2017 as National Park
Governing body	Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

Parsa National Park is a national park in the Terai of south-central Nepal covering an area of 627.39 km² (242.24 sq mi) in the Parsa, Makwanpur and Bara Districts and ranging in elevation from 435 to 950 m (1,427 to 3,117 ft) in the Sivalik Hills. It was established as a wildlife reserve in 1984 and received national park status in 2017. It is surrounded by a buffer zone since 2005 with an area of 285.3 km² (110.2 sq mi).^[1] In 2015, the protected area was further extended by 49 sq mi (128 km²).^[2]

To the north of Parsa National Park, the East Rapti River and Sivalik Hills form a natural boundary to human settlements. To the east, the boundary extends up to the Hetauda–Birgunj highway; to the south, a forest road demarcates the park's boundary. To the west is Chitwan National Park, which is situated just north of Valmiki National Park, a tiger reserve in India. Thus, this transnational protected area of 2,075 km² (801 sq mi) represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Chitwan–Parsa–Valmiki, which covers a total of 3,549 km² (1,370 sq mi) in the Terai–Duar savanna and grasslands.^[3]

Before being converted to a protected area, the region was a private game reserve and hunting park for both the British and Nepalese elite.^[1][4]