Royal Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, located in the western Terai, Nepal is famous for having a large herd of swamp deer ( Cervus duvauceli duvauceli ). Within its relatively small area, the reserve has diverse types of habitat. A large tract of grassland, the Shukla Phanta, is the main habitat of 1500 to 2000 swamp deer, or 'barhasingha'. The park contains many other small to moderate-sized grasslands, some interconnected and others scattered, such as the Barkaula Phanta, Sundari Phanta, Karaiya Phanta, and Haraiya Phanta. (The open grassland in the forest is locally called 'phanta'). One of the main objectives of the reserve is to manage these phantas in a way that will maintain them as a suitable habitat for swamp deer and other wild animals. Several management activities, have been conducted within these phantas including regular burning, ploughing, uprooting, and construction of water holes. Despite these activities, portions of many phantas, such as the south-eastern part of Sundari Phanta, the northern part of Shukla Phanta, and the south-eastern part of Karaiya Phanta have been invaded by tree species which are spreading fast and thus threatening the existence of the grasslands. Block-wise management activities need to be conducted with a long-term perspective in order to manage these grasslands of international importance.