Hemis National Park

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
type = national park
native_name = Hemis NP
other_name =
iucn_category = II
state_name = Jammu and Kashmir
district=Leh District
nearest_city = Leh
latd=33 |latm=59 |lats=00 |longd=77 |longm=26 |longs=00
skyline = StokKangripiccrop.jpg
skyline_caption = Stok Kangri peak inside Hemis NP
altitude=3000 - 6000
area_total=4400
precip= 160.5
temp_summer= 15
temp_winter= -30
established_title = Established
established_date = 1981
blank_title_1 = Visitation
blank_value_1 =
blank_title_2 = Governing body
blank_value_2 = Government of India, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
inset_map_marker = yes
website=

Hemis National Park (or Hemis High Altitude National Park) is a high altitude national park in the Eastern Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India (and thus the largest national park of India), and is the second largest contiguous protected area after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals including the Snow Leopard. Hemis National Park is India's only protected area inside the Palearctic ecozone, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary North-east of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.

The park is bounded to the North by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the cachements of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.

History of the Park

The park was initially founded in 1981 by protecting the Rumbak and Markha catchments, an area of about 600 sq km. It grew in 1988 to around 3350 sq km, by incorporating neighboring lands. [Encyclopaedic Dictionary of EnvironmentBy G R Chhatwal, D K Pandey, K K NandaPublished by Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., 1988(ISBN 8170411009), (ISBN 9788170411000)] It increased again in 1990 to 4400 sq km [http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/anlp99.htm] , and is presently the largest national park in South Asia.

Human History

The park houses numerous Tibetan gumphas and holy chortens within its boundaries. These include the famous 400-year old Hemis Monastery. Hemis was a destination and via point on the silk routes of Tibet. Over 1600 people live inside the park presently, with a large number of tourists and pilgrims visiting during the Hemis Tsechu festival.

Natural history

The principal biomes in Hemis include :

*Dry Himalayan subtropical pine forests
*Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
*Himalayan Alpine tundra

Fauna

The park is home to a viable breeding population of about 200 snow leopards, especially in the Rumbak catchment area. The prey base for the apex predator in the Central Asian Highlands is primarily supported in Hemis by: Argali (Great Tibetan Sheep), Bharal (Blue Sheep), Shapu (Ladakhi Urial), and livestock. A small population of the Asiatic Ibex is also present in Hemis. Hemis is the only refuge in India containing the Shapu. [Wild Sheep and Goats and Their Relatives: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan for CaprinaeBy David M. Shackleton, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Species Survival Commission. Caprinae Specialist GroupContributor David M. ShackletonPublished by IUCN, 1997(ISBN 2831703530), (ISBN 9782831703534)]

The Tibetan Wolf,the Eurasian Brown Bear (endangered in India), and the Red Fox are also present in Hemis. [ [http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/chadwick-text.html Out of the Shadows, National Geographic Magazine, June 2008] ]

Small mammals include the Himalayan Marmot, Mountain Weasel and the Himalayan Mouse Hare.

The park is a good place to study Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan birds of prey. Among birds of prey noted here are : Golden Eagle, Lammergeier vulture, and the Himalayan Griffon vulture.

The Rumbak Valley offers good opportunities for birdwatching, including several Tibetan species not common in other parts of India. Birds present here include Brown Accentor, Robin Accentor, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Streaked Rosefinch, Tibetan Snowfinch, Chukar, Fork-tailed Swift, Red-billed Chough, Himalayan Snowcock, and the Fire-fronted Serin.

16 mammal species and 73 bird species have been recorded in the park so far.

Flora [Handbook of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves in IndiaBy S.S. NegiPublished by Indus Publishing, 2002(ISBN 8173871280), (ISBN 9788173871283)]

This region is in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, and doesn't receive much precipitation. Hence, dry forests of juniper, Populus - Salix forests, subalpine dry birch - fir are present at lower altitudes. Himalayan alpine grasslands and scrublands and alpine tundra are present above the treeline.

Environmental issues [http://www.snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/anlp99.htm] [ [http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/chadwick-text.html Out of the Shadows, National Geographic Magazine, June 2008] ]

Over 1600 people live inside park boundaries, mostly pastoralists raising poultry, goat and sheep.Hence, he region has seen extensive animal- human conflict, resulting in numerous deaths of snow leopards. Snow leopards are killed because of their livestock depradation, in which they may kill several animals in a single flock in one hunt. Snow leopards have been drawn to human livestock due to overgrazing of livestock, which caused competition and population decline in natural herbivore populations like the Argali. Crop damage by Bharal has also been noted.

The Government of India, as well as numeous non governmental organizations like the Snow Leopard Trust and the Snow Leopard Conservancy, have been working on finding solutions in Hemis NP. Strategies have included:

*Compensation scheme for villagers: Introduced in 1996, by 1997 it was withdrawn as the number of claims had far exceeded the capacity of the alloted government funding.

*Himalayan Homestays: A program for providing tourists with access to homestays in local villagers' residences (source of additional income), provided they pledge not to kill any Snow Leopards.

*Creation of a no-grazing zone for domestic livestock

*Predator-proofing livestock pens in the area

Tourist activities in the park

No metalled or motorable roads traverse the park. The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid June to mid October. The best season for spotting snow leopards, is, however, in late Winter. The historic Hemis Monastery is home to the Hemis Festival (Hemis Tsechu) every summer. Lodging is restricted to backcountry camps, villager homestays and accomodation at the monasteries.

Approach

*Nearest airport: Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh district about 5 km away
*Nearest railhead: Kalka, Haryana
*Nearest highway: Leh-Manali Highway, and National Highway 1D (Srinagar - Kargil - Leh), both near the Northern borders of the park
*Nearest town: There are quite a few villages, and gumphas (monasteries) inside the national park
*Nearest city: The city of Leh is 10 km to the North of the park.

In popular culture and religion

The 400 year old Hemis Monastery has long been a place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists. However, in the late 19th and early 20th century, the monastery attracted some attention due to the writings of Nicolas Notovitch, a Russian aristocrat and journalist, who claimed that Jesus had spent the missing years of his life in Tibet and Ladakh, specifically in Hemis. (see Lost years of Jesus)

The national park, monastery and the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary was prominently featured in the award winning documentary Riding Solo to the Top of the World.

Gallery

Hemis Monastery inside the NP
Zanskar River into the Indus River at the border of the park
Stok_Kangri,_the_highest_peak_inside_the_park_boundaries_[...]_

See also

* Karakorum Wildlife Sanctuary
* Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

References

Bibliography

* Hemis High Altitude National Park-Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Department of Wildlife Protection, Wildlife Division(LAHDC) Leh-Ladakh
* Chettri, Nakul. 2003. [http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/pdf/Nakul%20Guide%20Training%20Report.pdf "Report on Nature Guide Training: Leh and Hemis National Park, India"] . Snow Leopard Conservancy and The Mountain Institute.
* Ladakh: The Land and the People, By Prem Singh Jina. Published by Indus Publishing, 1996 (ISBN 8173870578), (ISBN 9788173870576)

External links

* [http://wikitravel.org/en/Markha_Valley_Trek Wikitravel article on the trek through Markha Valley]