KANCHANPUR, April 19 -- Shuklaphanta National Park is composed of surreal landscapes--expansive grasslands vie for dominance with dense forests and tropical wetlands. A rangale of deer, a streak of tigers , a flight of butterflies--all tread the same spaces. This untouched wilderness, spread out over 305 square kilometres north of India's Lagga-Bagga and east of the mighty Mahakali, is Nepal's best-kept secret.

Established as a national park in 1976, Shuklaphanta is the country's second youngest national park, after Parsa National Park. Located in the south-western corner of Nepal in the Sudurpaschim province, this park was once a hunting reserve, famed for its abundance of deer, tigers, rhinos and other exotic species. Ever since its co...