The Himalayas are the world's longest, highest mountains. One third of all mountain animals live here. The range is home to many endangered species. The Himalayan mountain range is over 1,500 miles long and 250 miles wide and includes most of Nepal and Bhutan, south Tibet, and the extreme north of India. it is divided into three zones: the Greater, Lesser, and Outer Himalayas. Since the range is so long with so many varied climates, the wildlife of the Himalayas is remarkably diverse. The Himalayan region displays great variety in flora and fauna. It is also where rare medicinal herbs are said to grow. In the Terai - the Himalayan foothills, there are luxuriant tropical forests of Sal, Teak And Shisham. As one climbs, one encounters a variety of Chir (Pine), Oak, Deodar, Fir, Rhododendron, Birch And Juniper. At higher altitudes the Juniper becomes a bush.
Origin of Indian Himalayas
The Himalayas were created about 70 million years ago when two continental plates collided, pushing up the massive mountain range where they met. In this way India and Eurasia were joined together, which accounts for the wide variety of wildlife found here. Species from Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean all converged here. Even today, various species of the eastern Himalayas have a west Chinese influence, while the western range has Europe Mediterranean elements. Fossil records show that animals such as the giraffe and the hippo once lived here.
Himalayan Vegetation
Four different types of vegetation live in the Himalayas: tropical, subtropical, temperate, and alpine. The foothills of the Outer Himalayas are blanketed in dense tropical rain forests of bamboo, oak, and chestnut. Further west, as the altitude increases, the forest thins, and evergreen, cedars, pines, and firs become the dominant species. In the alpine zone, which begins at about 12.000 feet, grows great amounts of moist vegetation, including juniper and rhododendron. The domestic yak supplies rural nomads in Tibet with meat and hides. Its also serves as a pack animal. The male monal or Impeyon pheasant, has iridescent, multicolored plumage that he displays when courting his mate. This national bird of Nepal is widely hunted for sport. It is difficult to imagine today that these Himalayan slopes were densely wooded less than a century ago. While Himalayan forests are not as lush as the rain-fed South Indian forests, they do attain an impressive magnificence in the unspoilt upper region.
The nearest town is Srinagar from where the park gate is 22 km away. The road goes around Dal Lake, past Shalimar Gardens and the park entrance is just beyond Harwan village. Nearest airport is Srinagar and railhead at Jammu, 315 km away. Dachigam National Park enjoys a proximity to the beautiful city of Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir state. Its forests and picturesque landscape have always attracted tourists. The park is divided into two large sectors-the Lower and Upper Dachigam regions ... [+] Read More
Hemmed in on three sides by the towering peaks of the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh's Great Himalayan National Park is undoubtedly the place to go for a rendezvous with the wildlife of these mountains. Here, amidst dense forests of blue pine and cedar, in high alpine meadows and mountain slopes which remain covered with snow throughout the year, lives one of the densest and most impressive populations of Himalayan wildlife. Created in 1984, the Great Himalayan National Park (officially known ...[+] Read More
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas is the majestic Corbett National Park. Home to a variety of flora and fauna, it is famous for its wild population of Tigers, Leopards and Elephants. Corbett national park was established in 1936, as the Hailey National Park. India's first national park and the first sanctuary to come under Project Tiger, Corbett supports a variety of vegetation making it the ideal habitat for the Tiger and its prey. Once a popular hunting ground of the British, this 201 square mile ...[+] Read More
Royal Bardia National Park is the largest park in the lowland Terai covering an area of 968 sq. km. The park situated in Nepal’s Western Terai was established to protect representative ecosystems and conserve tiger and its prey species. Initially, a small area was gazetted as the Royal Karnali Wildlife Reserve in 1976. When this area was protected, approximately 1500 people of the Babai valley were resettled outside the park allowing the vegetation and wildlife to flourish. In 1982, it was renamed as Royal Bardia Wildlife Reserve, and in 1984 it was extended to its current size ...[+] Read More
Namdapha National Park is located in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh on the India Burmese border a few km from the entry point, Miau. It was designated as a National Park in 1983 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The same year, it was also declared as tiger reserve under Project Tiger. With a total area of 1985 sq kms, this is the largest national park in the north-east and one of the larger protected areas in the country. In fact, this was among the earliest national parks established in ....[+] Read More
Established in 1973, this is the oldest designated nationals park in Nepal and a chief safari destination. This park is situated merely 150 kilometers south-west in inner Terai, the nearest one from Kathmandu. It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1984. Chitwan lies in the lowlands or Inner Terai of southern central Nepal on the international border with India. The park's boundaries extend from the Dauney Hills on the west bank of the Narayani River eastward 78km to Hasta and Dhoram rivers. The park is bounded to the north by the Narayani and Rapti rivers and to the south by the ....[+] Read More
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Four different types of vegetation live in the Himalayas: tropical, subtropical, temperate, and alpine. The foothills of the Outer Himalayas are blanketed in dense tropical rain forests of bamboo, oak, and chestnut. Further west, as the altitude increases, the forest thins, and evergreen, cedars, pines, and firs become the dominant species. In the alpine zone, which begins at about 12.000 feet, grows great amounts of moist vegetation, including juniper and rhododendron. The domestic yak supplies rural nomads in Tibet with meat and hides. Its also serves as a pack animal. The male monal or Impeyon pheasant, has iridescent, multicolored plumage that he displays when courting his mate. This national bird of Nepal is widely hunted for sport. It is difficult to imagine today that these Himalayan slopes were densely wooded less than a century ago. While Himalayan forests are not as lush as the rain-fed South Indian forests, they do attain an impressive magnificence in the unspoilt upper region.
