Bishazari Tal

The Bishazari Tal, also spelled Beeshazar Tal, is an extensive oxbow lake system in the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park, a protected area in the Inner Terai of central Nepal. This wetland covers an area of 3200ha at an altitude of 286m, and is situated between the Mahabharat mountain range (Lower Himalayan Range) to the north and the Siwalik range to the south. In August 2003, it has been designated as a Ramsar site.The Nepali words 'bis' बिस् (twenty), 'hajār' हजार् (thousand) and 'tāl' ताल् (lake) mean '20,000 lakes'.FaunaThe forested wetland provides excellent habitat as a waterhole and wildlife corridor for critically endangered and vulnerable species including Bengal tiger, sloth bear, smooth-coated otter, one-horned rhinoceros, white-rumped vulture, Pallas's fish-eagle, lesser adjutant stork, ferruginous duck, gharial and marsh crocodile.