title: Banke National Park
text: # Banke National Park
  
  Banke National Park is located in the Lumbini Province and was established in 2010 as Nepal’s tenth national park after its recognition as a "Gift to the Earth". The protected area covers an area of 550 $km^2$ (210 sq mi) with most parts falling on the Churia range. The park is surrounded by a buffer zone of 344 $km^2$ (133 sq mi) in the districts of Banke, Salyan and Dang.
  
  Together with the neighboring Bardia National Park, the coherent protected area of 1,518 $km^2$ (586 sq mi) represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Bardia-Banke.
  
  ## Vegetation
  
  The vegetation in Banke National Park is composed of at least 113 tree species, 107 herbal species and 85 shrub and climber species. Common species include sal, axlewood, Semecarpus anacardium, khair, andTerminalia alata.
  
  ## Fauna
  
  The protected area holds tiger and four-horned antelope. In 2014, a ruddy mongoose was recorded for the first time in the protected area.
  
  