Wildlife

Uttaranchal

Corbett National Park
Along river Ram Ganga, in the foothills of the Himalayas is situated the country's oldest national park. Constituted in 1935 as Ram Ganga National Park , it was later named after Jim Corbett, one of the greatest hunters of the last century, who later became a leading voice for the conservation and protection of wildlife. The park is home to elephant, tiger, leopard, panther, bear, sambhar, cheetal, crocodile, and many other smaller animals. It is a paradise for birdwatchers - more than 150 different varieties of birds have been sighted here.

Rajaji National Park
Rajaji National Park , spread in an area of about 820 sq. kms., is one of the latest additions to the list of national parks in the country. The park was constituted by combining three existing wildlife sanctuaries: Rajaji, Motichur, and Chilla. Nestled in the Shiwalik Hills, and lying between the Lower Himalayas and the Upper Gangetic Plains, it is the northwestern-most habitat of the Asian Elephant. The park is also home to the tiger, leopard, porcupine, barking deer, and sambhar. The largest variety of Indian python is also found in Rajaji.

Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park
The Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the Uttarkashi district of Uttar Pradesh, was established in 1955. Spread over an area of 957,969 sq. kms., the altitude varies from 1300 mts. to 6323 mts. The entire area of the sanctuary is subjected to light-heavy snowfall. The snow leopard inhabits the inner Himalayas above the altitude of 3500 mts. To improve the protection of this rare animal, the upper reaches of the sanctuary were notified as a National Park which covers an area of 472.08 sq. kms.

Kedarnath Sanctuary
Kedarnath sanctuary is situated in Chamoli district. The approach road starts from Haridwar-Rudraprayag and then leads to Sonprayag and Ukhimath which is 226 km. away. The fauna includes panther, musk deer, black and brown Himalayan bear, sambhar, scrow, thar, ghoral and monal pheasant. The best time to visit is during April to June and again from September to November.

Nanda Devi National Park
Nanda Devi Sanctuary is situated in Chamoli district. The present sanctuary came into existence in 1939. There are no roads available and the area is inaccessible. No regular path exists. You can trek from Joshimath i.e. 15 km. by road upto Lata and then 51 km. trek upto the sanctuary. The fauna includes snow leopards, Himalayan bear, musk deer, bharal, him, thar and many species of pheasant. The park is a World Heritage site.

Mussoorie Wild Life Sanctuary
Mussoorie or Binog Mountain Quail Wild Life Sanctuary is accessible from two directions, northwest and south by road from Mussoorie. Bus services and overnight trains are available from Dehradun. It is well connected by road from Dehradun to Mussoorie. The entry point in Binog Block is from Dhobi Ghat, which is on the Mussoorie Kempty road. There is also a motorable kuchha road from Hathipaon up to Clouds End Estate, which is about 6 Km from Gandhi Dwar, Library, Mussoorie. From Clouds End Estate to Binog Top is about 2 Km, along a bridle path. The Himalayan Quail last sighted in 1876 and believed to be extinct now, might be spotted again in the picturesque Mussoorie hills. Primates, reptiles and avifauna are commonly found here. The sanctuary is unique in having plant communities in various forms. Apart from this the area is rich in medicinal plants. It forms the catchment area of the Aglar river which is a tributary of the Yamuna.

The Assan Barrage Wetland
Situated near the confluence of Yamuna Canal and the Assan, in Dehradun district, the lake attracts a large number of water-fowl, both waders and divers. Apart from these there are a large number of woodland and scrubland bird species in the adjoining Sal forest. Many birds listed as globally threatened species in the IUCN Red Data Book have been observed at Assan. The services of an experienced bird-watching guide can also be arranged on request.

Himachal
From thick sub-tropical forests to the dry alpine vegetation, Himachal home to a wide variety of animals. This includes the leopard, which is the most widely distributed mammal in the entire state, the snow leopard, ghoral (goat-like stout animal), musk deer which is the state animal and monal (a pretty bird in nine iridescent colours), the state bird. HP has 11 major national parks and sanctuaries - the largest number in the Himalayan region. The Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu - the first in the state - was created to conserve the flora and fauna of the main Himalayan range, while the Pin Valley National Park to conserve the flora and fauna of the cold desert.