Ghodaghodi Tal

Ghodaghodi Tal is a Ramsar site in western Nepal. It was established in August 2003 it covers an area of 2,563 h (9,230 ks) in Kailali District at an elevation of 205 m (673 ft) on the lower slopes of the Siwalik Hills. It was declared as a bird sanctuary in March 2022.^[2]

Ghodaghodi Tal
Ghodaghodi Tal
Location	Kailali, Nepal
Coordinates	28°41′00″N 80°56′45″E
Type	fresh water lake
Basin countries	Nepal
Max. length	1.83 km (1.14 mi)
Surface area	2,563 ha (6,330 acres)
Average depth	4 m (13 ft)
Surface elevation	205 m (673 ft)
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Ghodaghodi Lake Area
Designated	13 August 2003
Reference no.	1314[1]

This Ramsar site consists of a system of around 13 large and shallow oxbow lakes and ponds with associated marshes and meadows. It is surrounded by tropical deciduous forest and some streams along the periphery, which are separated by hillocks.^[3]

Flora

The lake has record of 388 vascular plants: five ptredophytes, 253 dicots, and 130 monocots.^[4]

Fauna

The forest and wetlands serve as a wildlife corridor between the Terai lowland and the Siwalik Hills. They support critically endangered and vulnerable species including Bengal tiger, smooth-coated otter, Eurasian otter, swamp deer, lesser adjutant stork, red-crowned roofed turtle and three-striped roofed turtle.^[3]

During a survey in February 2021, 26 mugger crocodiles were recorded in 18 lakes.^[5]

References

1. "Ghodaghodi Lake Area". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
2. "Ghodaghodi wetland area declared country's first bird sanctuary". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
3. Bhuju, U. R., Shakya, P. R., Basnet, T. B., Shrestha, S. (2007). Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book. Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites. Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, in cooperation with United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Kathmandu, ISBN 978-92-9115-033-5
4. SUFFREC, 2013. The Initiation, Student Forum for Forestry and Environment Conservation, Kathmandu Forestry College, Kathmandu, Nepal ISSN 2091-0088
5. Lamichhane, S.; Bhattarai, D.; Karki, J.B.; Gautam, A.P.; Pandeya, P.; Tirpathi, S. & Mahat, N. (2022). "Population status, habitat occupancy and conservation threats to Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) in Ghodaghodi lake complex, Nepal". Global Ecology and Conservation. 33: e01977. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01977.

External links

• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: The Annotated Ramsar List of Nepal