Which National Park in Nepal is an ecological continuation across the border of Valmiki National Park in India?

Introduction / Context:
Some protected areas in South Asia form transboundary complexes, where wildlife habitats extend seamlessly across international borders. Valmiki National Park in Bihar, India, lies along the Indo-Nepal border and is part of a larger conservation landscape. This question asks which national park in Nepal lies adjacent to Valmiki and effectively continues the same forest and grassland ecosystem across the border.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We know the Indian park is Valmiki National Park in Bihar.
• The task is to identify the neighbouring national park in Nepal.
• Options include Chitwan National Park, Bandipur National Park, Dudhwa National Park, and Jim Corbett National Park.
• We assume standard locations of these parks as found in geography and environment textbooks.

Concept / Approach:
Valmiki National Park lies in the Terai region, along the border with Nepal. Across this border, the corresponding protected area is Chitwan National Park, which is famous for its Terai forests, grasslands, and populations of rhinoceros, tiger, and other wildlife. The other options are Indian parks located in different states and are not across the international boundary. The approach is to recall cross border conservation units in the Terai Arc landscape.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Place Valmiki National Park on the map in western Bihar, near the border with Nepal. Step 2: Recall that Chitwan National Park in Nepal lies just north of this region and is part of the same forested belt. Step 3: Recognise that Bandipur National Park is in the Indian state of Karnataka and therefore cannot be across the border from Bihar. Step 4: Dudhwa National Park is in Uttar Pradesh, close to the Nepal border, but it corresponds more closely with other Terai parks and not specifically with Valmiki in Bihar. Step 5: Jim Corbett National Park is in Uttarakhand, along the foothills of the Himalayas, again not directly adjoining Valmiki. Step 6: Therefore, the only matching cross border counterpart is Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

Verification / Alternative check:
Environmental conservation literature frequently mentions the Valmiki-Chitwan complex as a transboundary tiger and rhinoceros conservation unit. Maps of the Terai Arc Landscape show Valmiki National Park abutting Chitwan National Park across the Indo-Nepal border. None of the other listed parks share this specific adjacency, which confirms that Chitwan is the intended answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Bandipur National Park is in southern India, far from the Indo-Nepal border, so it cannot be a cross border continuation of Valmiki. Dudhwa National Park does lie along the Indo-Nepal border, but it lies in Uttar Pradesh and interfaces with different protected areas on the Nepal side, not with Valmiki in Bihar. Jim Corbett National Park is in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand and connects with different landscapes. Thus, none of these parks match Valmiki's immediate transboundary partner.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse various Indo-Nepal border parks because several Indian protected areas lie close to Nepal. Without precise map practice, it is easy to mix up which Indian park corresponds to which Nepalese park. To minimise mistakes, learn a few key pairs, such as Valmiki with Chitwan and Dudhwa with its neighbouring reserves, and always pay attention to the states mentioned in exam questions.

Final Answer:
The National Park in Nepal that forms a cross border ecological continuation of Valmiki National Park in India is Chitwan National Park.