Makalu Barun National Park

Makalu Barun National Park is a national park in the Himalayas of Nepal that was established in 1992 as the eastern extension of Sagarmatha National Park. It is the world's only protected area with an elevation gain of more than enclosing tropical forest as well as snow capped peaks. It covers an area of in the Solukhumbu and Sankhuwasabha districts, and is surrounded by a bufferzone to the south and southeast with an area of
The rugged summits of Makalu, with the fifth highest mountain in the world, Chamalang , Baruntse and Mera are included in the national park. The protected area extends to about from west to east and to about from north to south. From the Arun river valley in the southeast, located at altitudes of , elevation gains about to the peak of Makalu. The national park shares the international border with the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the north.

In the early and mid 1980s, personnel of The Mountain Institute (TMI), under its president Daniel C. Taylor conducted surveys in the Barun Valley to study whether an explanation could be found for the enigma of the Yeti. Those surveys then uncovered this valley's extraordinary biological richness. The results of these surveys led to interest in creating a new protected area. A respective proposal was formulated in 1985. In 1988, the Makalu Barun Conservation Area Project (MBNPCA) was initiated as a joint endeavor of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and TMI. In 1999, the conservation area was converted into a buffer zone. The inaccessible valleys of the Barun River, the glacier fed tributary to the Arun River, treasure some of the last remaining pristine forests and alpine meadows. This area has been designated as a Strict Nature Reserve, the first in Nepal, in order to protect natural ecosystems and processes in an undisturbed state for scientific study, environmental monitoring, education and the maintenance of genetic resources.

The Makalu Barun National Park exhibits a high diversity of forest types that are characteristic for the Eastern Himalayas, ranging from near tropical dipterocarp monsoon forest on altitude to subalpine conifer stands on altitude. Forest aspects vary depending on seasonal moisture availability, temperature and snow cover at different elevations and slopes. Forests below are strongly affected by subsistence agriculture, so that only some ecologically significant stands remain there. Above forests are usually extensive since the cool, humid climate suppresses agricultural activity. Forests span five bioclimatic zones:

The protected area is habitat for a wide diversity of faunal species. There are 315 species of butterflies, 43 species of reptile and 16 species of amphibians. 78 species of fish inhabit the many ponds, lakes and rivers. Ornithologists have recorded 440 bird species, ranging from eagles and other raptors to white necked storks and brilliantly colored sunbirds. The 16 rare or protected bird species include the rose ringed parakeet, Blyth's kingfisher, deep blue kingfisher, blue naped pitta, pale blue flycatcher, sultan tit, silver eared mesia, spiny babbler and the white naped yuhina.