Great Himalayan National Park

About Great Himalayan National Park:

• It is located in Banjaar Sub-Division of Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh in the far Western Himalayas.
• It spreads across a total area of 1171 sq km.
• It was constituted in 1984 and was formally notified as a national park in 1999.
• GHNP was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2014.
• Topography: The park is a stunning mix of lush coniferous forests, meadows, glaciers and mountain peaks.
• Fauna:
  • Biodiversity surveys of GHNP in the past decade have identified 31 mammal species, 209 bird species, 12 reptile species, 9 amphibian species and 125 insect species.
  • Animals like the bharal (blue sheep), common leopard, snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr, musk deer and serow.
  • Endangered western tragopan, lammergeiers, Himalayan griffon vultures and golden eagles.
• Flora:
  • GHNP boasts 832 plant species, representing 128 families and 427 genera and comprising 26% of the total flora of Himachal Pradesh. These include 794 angiosperm species, 11 gymnosperm species (pines, conifers and cypresses) and 27 fern species.
  • The boundaries of GHNP are also contiguous with: the Pin Valley National Park in the Trans-Himalaya range, the Rupi Bhabha Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sutlej watershed and the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary in Parvati valley.

 

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Q1) What is kanawar wildlife sanctuary known for?

Kanwar Sanctuary is home to the rare "Western Tragopan" and 200 species of birds and over 30 species of mammals. Amongst the bird population, Cheer Pheasant and White Cheeked Tit are the most prominent which can be seen here.

Source: Centre on flora, fauna at Himalayan national park