Khangchendzonga National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

India is well-known for its forests and is home to a variety of flora and fauna. A wildlife sanctuary is an area that is protected to safeguard the animals and birds present there. Tourism is allowed as are human activities. Many wildlife sanctuaries consist of human habitation too. 

The act that led to the establishment of these protected areas is the Wildlife Protection Act of 1947. India has several wildlife sanctuaries that have many rare and unique species. There are 553 wildlife sanctuaries in India and they cover a total area of 1,19,776 km. Of these, 51 are reserves for tigers, specifically, the Bengal tiger.

Importance of Wildlife Sanctuaries 

There are many reasons why wildlife sanctuaries are essential. Some of these reasons are: 

• To protect endangered species
• To prevent the removal of animals from their natural surroundings and to protect them in their environment
• To study endangered species and to create a breeding protocol  
• To provide research opportunities to study animals and plants

National Parks

National Parks are the areas that are set up by the state government or the central legislature. It is often established to preserve flora and fauna of importance. These parks are usually not open to the public and human activities are not permitted. 

Khangchendzonga National Park,Sikkim

Khangchendzonga National Park is a wildlife sanctuary located in the heart of the Himalayan range in Sikkim. It contains a wide range of plains, valleys and mountains. It gets its name from the world’s third-highest peak, the 8586-metre tall Mount Khangchendzonga. The park is well-known for its mythological stories and has a vast range of natural elements, including caves and lakes. This park has a fantastic vertical sweep of about 7 km in a 178,400-hectare area. This also includes the 26 km long Zemu Glacier. This park has been a World Heritage Site since July 2016. 

The Khangchendzonga National Park is home to nearly half of the country’s population of birds and wild trees. One-third of the country’s flowering plants are present here. The wildest and most extensive stunted forest zone is also present here. 

Geography

Kanchenjunga National Park is located in the North and West of Sikkim. In the North, it joins the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet and in the West, it connects to the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area in Nepal.

Flora and Fauna

In keeping with the area’s temperature- heavy snowfall and monsoons, the vegetation in the park contains mixed forests, filled with birch, oak and willow, among others. Alpine grasses and medicinal shrubs and herbs are also found here. When it comes to fauna, the park has a vast range of mammals like black bears, red pandas, leopards, musk deer and many more. 

Abode of the Gods

Khangchendzonga National Park is sometimes known as the Abode of the Gods and is a revered space for Buddhists. Legend has it that a number of holy texts are hidden across the park, just waiting to be discovered. The people of Sikkim revere this place, celebrating their festival of thanksgiving-Pang Lhabsol- here.

Wildlife sanctuaries in Sikkim

Sikkim is home to five other wildlife sanctuaries. They are as follows-

• Fambong Lho Sanctuary

This sanctuary is about 20 km from the capital city of Gangtok and covers an area of about 51 km. This park has many species of animals like barking deer and red pandas.

• Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary

This Sikkim wildlife sanctuary lies on the west side of the state of Sikkim. It has good soil for agriculture and is covered by mountains.

• Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary

This wildlife sanctuary is located in the eastern part of Sikkim and covers an area of about 31 km.

• Maenam Sanctuary

This famous wildlife sanctuary is renowned for its medicinal plants. It is also considered to be a popular trekking destination.

• Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary

This sanctuary is also present in the eastern part of Sikkim. It covers an area of 124 square km and is famous for its ecoregions and biomes which feature pine forests and savanna. 

Conclusion

Wildlife sanctuaries are extremely important for the sustainable development of the country. It helps in the conservation of many endangered species. The government and other authorities are putting in a great deal of effort towards the conservation of plant and animal life within these spaces. In this article, we learnt about Khangchendzonga National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries present in Sikkim. We also got to know the various flora and fauna present in the park.