Hemis National Park (or Hemis High Altitude National Park ) is a highland national park in the Ladakh region east of Jammu and Kashmir state of India. Famous in the world for snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density in the world's protected areas. It is the only national park in India located north of the Himalayas, the largest protected area notified in India (the largest national park) and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. This park is home to a number of endangered mammal species, including snow leopard. The Hemis National Park is India's protected area within the Palearctic eco- nomon, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in northeastern Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.
The park is bordered to the north by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the capture of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.
Video Hemis National Park
History
The park was founded in 1981 by protecting the catch of Rumbak and Markha, an area of ​​about 600 km 2 (230Ã, sqÃ, mi). It grew in 1988 to about 3,350 km 2 (1,290 sq mi), by combining neighboring land, before rising in 1990 to 4,400 km 2 (1,700 sq sq), and was South Asia's largest national park.
Maps Hemis National Park
Geography and ecological significance
The park is located within the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe ecoregion, and contains pine forests, alpine shrublands and meadows, and alpine tundra.
Fauna
This park is home to a viable breeding population of about 200 snow leopards, especially in the Rumbak catchment area. The prey base for top predators in the Central Asian Highlands is mainly supported in Hemis by Argali (Great Tibetan Sheep), Bharal (Blue Sheep), Shapu (Ladakhi Urial), and livestock. A small population of ibex Asiatic was also present at Hemis. Hemis is the only sanctuary in India containing Shapu.
Tibetan wolves, Eurasian brown bears (endangered in India), and red foxes are also present in Hemis. Small mammals include Himalayan marmots, mountain weasels and rabbit Himalayan rabbits.
Among the predatory birds recorded here are Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan predators: golden eagles, lammergeier carcasses, and Himalayan griffon vultures. The Rumbak Valley offers opportunities for bird watching, including some unusual Tibetan species in other parts of India. The birds present here include brown accents, robin accents, Tickell leaf fighters, roses, black winged snowfinches, chukar, blyth's swift, red-billed chough, Himalayan snowcock, and fire-dealing serin.
16 species of mammals and 73 bird species have been recorded in the park so far.
Flora
This region is in the shadow of the Himalayas, and does not receive much rainfall. Therefore, dry juniper forest, Populus - Salix forest, subalpine dry birch - fir is present in the lowlands. The Alpine and steppe trees are mostly found here. The trees and shrubs are scattered at the bottom of the valley. Because of the upper moist mountain slopes, this area is characterized by alpine vegetation including Anemone , Gentiana , Thallctrwn , Lloydia , Veronica , Delphinum , Carex and Cobresia . Other parts of the park supporting steppe vegetation dominated by Caragana, Artemisia, Stachys, and Ephedra, are present along the lower river basin. A study conducted by CP Kala reported 15 rare and endangered plant species grown in the park, which included Acantholimon lycopodiodes , Arnebia euchroma , Artimisia maritima >, Bergenia stracheyi , Ephedra gerardiana , Ferula jaeschkeana , and Hyoscyamus niger .
Environmental issues
More than 1,600 people live within park boundaries, most cattle herders keep poultry, goats, and sheep. This results in considerable human-animal conflict in the region. Snow leopards feed on cattle, sometimes killing several animals from a herd in one hunt. This has been attributed to overgrazing livestock. Damage to plants caused by bharal has also been seen.
Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir Government are park guards. Any activity in the park is prohibited unless there is a special permit from the Head of Wildlife Warden J & amp; K. The Department has started many projects for biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement in Ladakh, including Hemis National Park, such as:
- Snow Leopard Project to Preserve the entire Himalayan biosphere. The project was initiated by the department in 2004 and officially launched on 20 February 2009.
- Ladakh Eco Tourism Project
- Ladakh Homestays: A program to provide tourists with access to homestays in local villages (additional sources of income).
- Natural Training Guide for educated unemployed youth.
- Eco Cafe for Women's Help Group to run cafes and sell local craft products to tourists.
- Creation of grazing zones for domestic livestock
- Pen farms of predators in the area
Tourism
There are no roads made of metal or motor vehicles that pass through the park. The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid-June to mid-October. The best season to look for snow leopard, is, however, at the end of winter. The historic Hemis Monastery is home to the Hemis Festival (Hemis Tsechu) every summer. The inn is restricted to inland camp, village homestay and accommodation in the monasteries.
- Nearest airport: Leh Kushok Airport Bakula Rimpochee, Leh district about 5 km (3.1 mi) away
- Nearest train: Kalka, Haryana
- Nearest highway: Leh-Manali Highway, and National Highway 1D (Srinagar - Kargil - Leh), both near the northern border of the park
- Nearby cities: There are several villages, and gumphas (monasteries) within the national park
- Nearby cities: Leh City is 10 km (6.2 miles) north of the park.
Double La
Double La (also called Kanda La, 34 Â ° 2? 29,62? N < span> 77 Â ° 21? 45,42? E ) is a high mountain track located at about 4980 meters above sea level in Ladakh, 23 km (14 mi) southwest of Leh, in the Himalayas in India. It lies within Hemis National Park. and connecting the villages of the Markha valley to Leh, and regularly used by local people. Summer passes are open from June, and winter passes (half a kilometer northwest of the summer) are open from late April.
Markha Valley travels through a gap in the part between the villages of Rumbak and Skiu, which is usually done for 2 days. Another line on the road is Gongmaru La (La Kongmaru).
Gallery
- Hemis NP
In culture
The park has many Tibetan and sacred chorten gulfs within its borders. This includes the 400-year-old Hemis Monastery. Hemis is the destination and through the point on the Tibetan silk route. More than 1,600 people live in the park today, with a large number of tourists and pilgrims visiting during the Hemis Tsechu festival.
400-year-old Hemis Monastery has long been a pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the monastery attracted attention because of the writings of Nicolas Notovitch, a Russian aristocrat and journalist, who claimed that Jesus had spent the years lost in his life in Tibet and Ladakh, especially in Hemis. (see the Lost years of Jesus)
Changthang National Park, Monastery and Wildlife Sanctuary is prominently featured in the award-winning documentary Ride Solo to the Top of the World .
See also
- Karakorum Wildlife Reserve
- Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Reserve
References
Bibliography
- Hemis High Altitude National Park Management Plan, Jigmet Takpa IFS and Saleem Ul Haq.
- Hemis Altitude National Park - Jammu and Kashmir Government, Department of Wildlife Protection, Lih Ladakh Wildlife Division (LAHDC)
- Chettri, Nakula. 2003.
- Ladakh: Land and People, By Prem Singh Jina. Published by Indus Publishing, 1996 (ISBNÃ, 8173870578), (ISBNÃ, 9788173870576)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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