Forest Biodiversity
Flora and fauna
The Western Terai Landscape Complex is globally significant with regard to both its faunal and floral diversity. It is home to threatened wildlife species, including: tiger (Panthera tigris ), rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), swamp deer (Cervus duvaucelli), black buck (Antilope cervicapra), four-horned antelope (Teracerus quadricornis), Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis), wild dog (Cuon alpinus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus), Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica), lesser adjutant stork (Leptoptilos javanicus), lesser florican (Sypheotides indica), mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), and Asiatic rock phython (Python molurus).Although there is no complete information on the flora of this entire landscape, it is estimated that the Western Terai Landscape Complex has about 900 species of vascular plants, out of which 455 species have been recorded. There are 96 tree species, 82 shrub species, 14 species of climbers and 263 herbs.
