{"id":79487,"date":"2025-12-27T10:01:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T04:31:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=79487"},"modified":"2026-01-12T13:19:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T07:49:16","slug":"national-parks-in-sikkim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-sikkim\/","title":{"rendered":"National Parks in Sikkim, Map, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Ramsar Site"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Parks in Sikkim are legally notified regions established to conserve ecologically important landscapes, wildlife populations, plant diversity, and natural geological features. Under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, State Governments can declare areas of significant ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural, or zoological value as protected zones. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>National Parks in India<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offer the highest protection, prohibiting human activities except those permitted for conservation purposes, while Wildlife Sanctuaries allow limited regulated activities. As of 2025, India currently has 107 National Parks covering 44,402.95 square kilometres and 574 Wildlife Sanctuaries spanning 127,241.24 square kilometres, ensuring long-term biodiversity security.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Protected Areas in Sikkim<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sikkim has a dense protected area network covering ecologically sensitive Himalayan landscapes with strict legal protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protected Area Network: Nine protected areas collectively cover 30.77% of Sikkim\u2019s total geographical area.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Park Coverage: One National Park alone protects 1,784 square kilometres of alpine ecosystems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wildlife Sanctuaries: Seven sanctuaries safeguard forests, wetlands, alpine meadows, and bird habitats.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conservation Reserve: One orchid-focused conservation reserve protects rare endemic plant species.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biosphere Integration: Protected areas integrate with Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve for landscape level conservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>National Parks in Sikkim<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is only one National Park in Sikkim, but it is among India\u2019s most ecologically significant and globally recognised conservation landscapes. Khangchendzonga National Park spans 1,784 square kilometres across North and West Sikkim and protects altitudes ranging from 1,400 metres to 8,585 metres, including Mount Kangchenjunga, the world\u2019s third-highest peak. Declared a <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/strong><\/a> in 2016, it is India\u2019s first \u201cMixed Heritage Site,\u201d recognised for both natural and cultural values. The park forms the core of the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve and plays a critical role in Himalayan biodiversity conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Khangchendzonga National Park<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khangchendzonga National Park is Sikkim\u2019s largest protected ecosystem, preserving pristine Himalayan wilderness. The key features of the Khangchendzonga National Park has been highlighted below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Geographical Extent: Covers 1,784 square kilometres across North and West Sikkim districts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Altitude Range: Elevation varies from 1,400 metres to 8,585 metres at Kangchenjunga peak.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global Recognition: Declared UNESCO World Heritage Site on 17 July 2016.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Heritage Status: India\u2019s first Mixed Heritage Site recognising natural and cultural values.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biosphere Core: Forms the core zone of Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegetation Zones: Supports temperate broadleaf, mixed forests, subalpine and alpine vegetation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key Mammals: Home to snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear, and musk deer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-Altitude Fauna: Supports Himalayan blue sheep, takin, serow, goral, and Tibetan wild ass.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Natural Boundaries: Bounded by Zemu Glacier, Lamaongden ridge, Mount Pandim, and Nepal Peak.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ecological Integrity: Remains largely untouched due to formidable natural geographical barriers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Wildlife Sanctuaries in Sikkim<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sikkim\u2019s seven Wildlife Sanctuaries protect diverse Himalayan ecosystems ranging from lowland forests to alpine zones. These sanctuaries collectively cover 399.10 square kilometres and support rare rhododendron species, migratory birds, alpine fauna, and critical wildlife corridors connecting protected landscapes across India, Nepal, and West Bengal. Declared under the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wildlife-protection-act\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Wildlife Protection Act 1972<\/strong><\/a>, these sanctuaries allow limited human activities while ensuring habitat protection, species conservation, and ecological stability across varying altitudinal gradients.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>List of Wildlife Sanctuaries in Sikkim<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The list of seven officially recognised Wildlife Sanctuaries in Sikkim has been given below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary: Located in Singalila Range, protects vast rhododendron forests bordering Nepal and West Bengal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary: Situated near Gangtok, conserves subtropical forests contiguous with Khangchendzonga National Park.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary: East Sikkim sanctuary protecting alpine meadows between 3,292 and 4,116 metres altitude.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary: South Sikkim sanctuary preserving temperate forests and critical wildlife corridors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary: Eastern Sikkim sanctuary connected to Neora Valley National Park of West Bengal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary: North Sikkim sanctuary famous for high-altitude rhododendron species diversity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kitam Bird Sanctuary: South Sikkim\u2019s low-altitude bird sanctuary supporting migratory and resident avifauna.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Ramsar Site in Sikkim (Khachoedpalri Wetland)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khachoedpalri Wetland is Sikkim\u2019s first Ramsar Site, recognised for high-altitude wetland conservation. The key features of this site are given below:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ramsar Recognition: Declared Ramsar Site in 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wetland Area: Covers 1.72 square kilometres of high-altitude Himalayan wetland ecosystem.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ecological Importance: Supports peatlands, temperate forests, and over 680 plant species.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key Wildlife: Habitat for endangered red panda and vulnerable Himalayan black bear.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cultural Significance: Sacred pilgrimage site with major ecological and tourism value in Sikkim.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 597.549px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td class=\"tb-color\" style=\"width: 597.549px; height: 25px; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Also Check<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 33px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 33px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-uttar-pradesh\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center; height: 33px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-bihar\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Bihar<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-assam\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Assam<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-uttarakhand\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Uttarakhand<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-west-bengal\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in West Bengal<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-arunachal-pradesh\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Arunachal Pradesh<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"text-align: center; height: 25px; width: 303.9px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-andhra-pradesh\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Andhra Pradesh<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; width: 293.649px; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-chhattisgarh\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Chhattisgarh<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-goa\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Goa<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-jharkhand\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Jharkhand<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-gujarat\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Gujarat<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-kerala\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Kerala<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-haryana\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Haryana<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-madhya-pradesh\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Madhya Pradesh<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-himachal-pradesh\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Himachal Pradesh<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-maharashtra\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Maharashtra<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 25px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center; height: 25px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-karnataka\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Karnataka<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-odisha\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Odisha<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-manipur\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Manipur<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-mizoram\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Mizoram<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-meghalaya\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Meghalaya<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-nagaland\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Nagaland<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-telangana\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Telangana<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-rajasthan\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Rajasthan<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 303.9px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-tamil-nadu\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Tamil Nadu<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 293.649px; text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-sikkim\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Parks in Sikkim<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 597.549px; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-parks-in-tripura\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>National Parks in Tripura<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Know about National Parks in Sikkim, Khangchendzonga National Park, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Ramsar Site, protected areas and biodiversity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":79515,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[4395],"class_list":{"0":"post-79487","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-national-parks-in-sikkim","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}