Nepal
Biodiversity Intelligence Dashboard
Threatened
12
CR + EN + VU
Critically Endangered
5
CR
Endemic Threatened
3
Found only here
Declining
58%
7 species
Distribution of 12 threatened species
Threatened % by group
3 endemic threatened species found only here
CONSERVATION LEADERS
Key Conservation Organisations
Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN)
BirdLife International Partner
Bird conservation, Important Bird Areas, community engagement
BirdLife International's partner in Nepal. Manages Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), conducts national waterbird censuses, runs community-based bird conservation programmes across the Terai and mid-hills, and advocates for policy on habitat protection for Nepal's 903 bird species.
Visit websiteChitwan National Park
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal
Protected area, tiger and rhino conservation, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Nepal's first national park (est. 1973) and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Home to ~605 greater one-horned rhinos and a core population of Bengal tigers. Achieved multiple zero-poaching years. Hosts the Gharial Conservation Breeding Centre which has released 1,500+ gharials.
Visit websiteNational Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC)
Government of Nepal autonomous body
Protected area management, ecotourism, community conservation
Manages the Annapurna Conservation Area (the largest protected area in Nepal), Manaslu Conservation Area, and the Central Zoo. Pioneers community-based conservation and ecotourism models that have become internationally recognised. Operates biodiversity conservation centres in Chitwan and Bardia.
Visit websiteNepal Vulture Conservation Programme
BCN, RSPB, ZSL, Department of National Parks
Vulture recovery, safe zones, diclofenac advocacy
Established Asia's first Vulture Safe Zones in the Koshi region. Instrumental in Nepal's 2006 ban on veterinary diclofenac. Operates the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Chitwan. Nepal's white-rumped vulture population is now increasing — one of few countries globally where this is true.
Visit websiteZoological Society of London (ZSL) Nepal
Zoological Society of London
Wildlife conservation, community anti-poaching, research
Operates conservation programmes across Nepal including community-based anti-poaching units, wildlife monitoring with camera traps, gharial conservation in the Narayani River, and the National Red List assessments. Key partner in Nepal's zero-poaching achievements for rhinos.
Visit websiteNotable Conservationists
Dr Chiranjibi Prasad Pokheral
Former Director General, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife ecology, tiger conservation, protected area management
Led Nepal's Department of National Parks during the period when Nepal nearly tripled its tiger population. Oversaw the national tiger census methodology and transboundary cooperation with India on the Terai Arc Landscape. Instrumental in scaling community-based anti-poaching operations.
Dr Dhan Bahadur Gurung
National Trust for Nature Conservation (founding era)
Community-based conservation, Annapurna model
Pioneered the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), the first community-managed conservation area in Nepal. ACAP's model — where local communities directly manage conservation and tourism revenue — became internationally recognized and has been replicated across Nepal and other countries.
Dr Hem Sagar Baral
ZSL Nepal Country Director
Ornithology, conservation biology, Red List assessment
Nepal's foremost ornithologist and ZSL's Country Director for Nepal. Co-author of Nepal's National Red List for birds and the definitive guide to Nepalese birds. Led conservation assessments for Bengal Florican, Spiny Babbler, and other threatened species. Instrumental in establishing Important Bird Areas across Nepal and building the scientific evidence base for vulture conservation policy.
Dr Pralad Yonzon
Resources Himalaya Foundation
Conservation biology, red panda research, policy advocacy
Pioneer of red panda conservation research in Nepal. Founded Resources Himalaya Foundation to bridge scientific research and conservation policy. Conducted some of the earliest ecological studies of red pandas in eastern Nepal and has trained a generation of Nepali conservation biologists.
Ramesh Chaudhary
President of Bird Education Society; Executive Member, Bird Conservation Nepal
Field ornithology, bird education, grassland conservation
Dedicated field ornithologist and conservation educator from the Terai lowlands. As President of the Bird Education Society and executive member of BCN, leads grassroots bird monitoring and education programmes. Known for long-term field monitoring of Bengal Florican and grassland birds in the Koshi Tappu and Chitwan areas, training young Nepali birdwatchers, and advocating for grassland habitat protection.
Source: Public records, institutional websites, published research
| Species | Status | Group | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengal FloricanHoubaropsis bengalensis | CR | birds | ↓ |
| Spiny BabblerTurdoides nipalensis | VU | birds | ↓ |
| Snow LeopardPanthera uncia | VU | mammals | ↓ |
| Red PandaAilurus fulgens | EN | mammals | ↓ |
| Greater One-horned RhinoRhinoceros unicornis | VU | mammals | ↑ |
| GharialGavialis gangeticus | CR | reptiles | ↑ |
| White-rumped VultureGyps bengalensis | CR | birds | ↑ |
| Slender-billed VultureGyps tenuirostris | CR | birds | ↓ |
| Bengal TigerPanthera tigris | EN | mammals | ↑ |
| Asian ElephantElephas maximus | EN | mammals | → |
| Ganges River DolphinPlatanista gangetica | EN | mammals | ↓ |
| Lesser FloricanSypheotides indicus | CR | birds | ↓ |
| Ceropegia dorjei | CR | plants | ? |
Outlook: Improving
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).
Key Biomes & Ecosystems
Conservation Achievements
Nepal's conservation achievements are globally recognised. The tiger population nearly tripled from 121 (2009) to 355 (2022). Multiple zero-poaching years for rhinos demonstrate effective anti-poaching. Asia's first Vulture Safe Zones established in 2009 have reversed vulture declines. Community forestry covers 2.2 million hectares managed by 22,000+ community forest user groups, credited with reversing mid-hills deforestation. Koshi Tappu Ramsar Site protects the last wild water buffalo population and hosts over 500 bird species. Chitwan's gharial breeding programme has released 1,500+ captive-bred gharials. Nepal committed to net-zero deforestation by 2025 and has increased protected area coverage to 23.39% of national territory.
Source: IUCN Red List 2025-2, GBIF, national survey data