Hemis high altitude national park or the Hemis national park is a wildlife park located in Ladakh of Jammu and Kashmir. The park is quite famous among tourists for its population of snow leopards. This is the only park in the country, which is located in the northern region of Himalayas and it is the largest national park in the country.
Geography
Hemis National Park is situated in northern India. Interestingly, it is the only national park in the country that is situated north of the Himalaya.
The park spans 4,400 sq km (1,700 sq mi) across the union territory of Ladakh. Hemis National Park is known for being the second largest continuous protected area in the entire country, and it is also one of the largest national parks in all of south-central Asia.
Hemis National Park is located in the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe ecoregion. The Ladakh region is home to the highest plateau in India. A majority of the plateau has elevations above 3,000 m (9,800 ft.).
The Khuma, Rumbak, and Markha rivers run throughout the park along with the Ladakh Range, which is considered to be an extension of the Karakoram, which themselves are considered to be extensions of the Himalaya. The park’s eastern and northern boundaries are marked by the Indus River while the western boundary is set by the Zanskar River.
The tall and rugged peaks of the park dominate the landscape and are a sub-range of the Himalaya. Besides the many snow-capped mountains in the Hemis National Park, the region is also home to alpine meadows and alpine shrublands.
Flora of Hemis national park
As you might already know, Ladakh experiences very less rainfall throughout the year because it is located in the rain shadow region of the Himalayas. This is the reason why most of the park is barren land or is covered with dry forests. But on the contrary, when you reach the lower altitude of the park, you will get to see fir forest.
The 2 most commonly and extensively found trees in the national park are Steppe and Alpine that too in the lower altitude areas. The reason being, both these trees need minimal moisture. There are some plant species too that thrive in the area including dry birch and Juniper. The flora collection of Hemis also includes several medicinal and endangered species of plants.
Fauna of Hemis national park
One of the main reasons why people plan on visiting the national park is due to its fauna. Hemis is rich in wildlife including some endangered and some rare species. You can also enjoy the sighting of several animals, birds, and reptiles that are found at higher altitudes only.
This national park is home to 73 bird species and approximately 16 mammal species. Some of the major attractions of the park apart from the rare Snow Leopards include bharal (bleu sheep), Himalayan Mouse Hare, shapu (Ladakhi Urial), Eurasian Brown Bear, Himalayan Marmot, Tibetan Wolf, and Red Fox.
On the other hand, the bird watchers also find themselves in peace here because of the Golden Eagle, fire-fronted serin, robin accentor, red-billed chough, lammergeier vulture, and streaked rosefinch.
Climate of Hemis national park
The park receives ample amount of sunlight and warmth during summer. The summers are mildly warm and nights are cold. Winters are extremely cold and vegetation will be very less. Snowfall is very common after November. Rainfall is minimal during monsoon season. There is no distinct monsoon season in this region.
The best time to trek is from middle of June to middle of October. However, spotting big mammals during this time is very rare. Top season to spot snow leopards is the late winter. Winter starts in October and ends in March. If you are visiting in summer (starts in March and ends in June), you ought to enjoy the Hemis Festival that takes place inside the park in the Hemis monastery. The best time to visit the park is from May to September.
Conclusion
In this article, we have described Hemis National Park in brief. Visitors visiting Ladakh must make sure to visit this National Park, which is full of rare and endangered animals, various birds and medicinal plants. The best time to visit this park is from May to October. Visiting this National Park is a joyous experience as it is a fully pollution-free serene environment.
FAQs about Hemis National Park
Hemis National Park is located in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, northern India.
Hemis National Park is unique because it is the only national park in India situated north of the Himalayas. It is also the largest national park in the country and one of the largest in south-central Asia.
Hemis National Park spans an area of 4,400 square kilometers (1,700 square miles), making it one of the largest continuous protected areas in India.
Read also:- Pench National Park, Seoni (Madhya Pradesh)
