Himachal Pradesh National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Ramsar Sites

Great Himalayan National Park

• It is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River).
• It is at the junction of the world’s two major biogeographic realms: the Indomalayan realm to the south and the Palearctic realm to the north.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Vegetation: Ranges from temperate to subalpine.
• Major Flora: Spruces, horse chestnuts, alpine meadows.
• Major Fauna: Bharal (blue sheep), snow leopard (VU), Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr.

Inderkilla National Park

• It is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River).
• Major Fauna: Black bear, common leopard, Himalayan Ibex (Siberian Ibex).

Khirganga National Park

• It is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River).
• It is flanked by Great Himalayan National Park and Pin Valley National Park.
• Vegetation: Dry alpine and scrub.
• Major Fauna: Snow Leopard, Himalayan Ibex, bharal (blue sheep), Himalayan Brown Fox.

Pin Valley National Park

• It lies within Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in the Himalayan region. Pin River is a tributary of Spiti River (a tributary of Sutlej).
• Vegetation: Mostly alpine trees.
• Major Fauna: Snow Leopard, Himalayan (Siberian) Ibex.

Simbalbara (Col. Sher Jung) National Park

• It is located in the Paonta Valley.
• Vegetation: Dense Sal forests with grassy glades.
• Major Fauna: Leopard, sambhar, goral, chital, barking deer, spotted deer, nilgai (blue bull).

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Himachal Pradesh

Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

• Chandra Tal is a lake in the Spiti Valley. It is accessible on foot from Kunzum Pass (it connects Lahul and Spiti valley).

Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in Lesser Himalayas, it lies between Dalhousie (near Ravi River) and Kullu-Manali Valley (Beas River).
• Ravi River flows along the fringes of the Dhauladhar range. Hanuman Tibba (5,982 m) is its highest peak.
• Major Flora: Oak, rhododendron, deodar.

Kais Wildlife Sanctuary

• It includes parts of the Kais Nala (a tributary of Beas River). It was declared mainly to protect Musk Deer (EN).
• Musk Deer population has declined drastically due to poaching for its musk pod.

Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary

• It lies in the path of the Ravi River near Dalhousie.
• Vegetation: Dense deodar and fir forest.

Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is situated between Ravi and Chenab Rivers.
• Major Fauna: Himalayan tahr (NT).

Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Kinnaur district.
• Major Fauna: Snow Leopards (VU).

Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary (BS) (Ramsar Site)

• Also called Maharana Pratap Sagar, it was created on the Beas River. Pong Dam and Gobindsagar Reservoir (on Sutlej River) are the two most important fishing reservoirs in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh.

• Ranjit Sagar dam (Ranjit Sagar Lake in Punjab) ⟶ Ravi River
• Pong dam (Maharana Pratap Sagar in Himachal Pradesh) ⟶ Beas River
• Bhakra dam (Gobindsagar Reservoir in Himachal Pradesh) ⟶ Sutlej River

Rakchham Chitkul (Sangla Valley) Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Sangla Valley. Baspa River (a tributary of Sutlej River) that flows through it.

Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

• A small tributary of the Yamuna separates the Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary from Simbalbara National Park.

Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located on th bank of the Sutlej River between Pin Valley National Park and Govind National Park (Uttarakhand).

Others

• Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary: Shimla district; named after Churdhar Peak (3,647 m).
• Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary: high in the Spiti Valley in the Himalayas.
• Manali Wildlife Sanctuary: Manali River (a tributary of Beas River) passes through it
• Sech Tuan Nala Wildlife Sanctuary: Chamba district.
• Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary: Mandi District. Sutlej River flows south of this Wildlife Sanctuary.

Ramsar Sites of Himachal Pradesh (3)

Chandra Taal

• It is a high-altitude lake near Kunzum Pass on the upper Chandra River valley.
• Chandra and Bhaga rivers merge to form the Chenab River in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh.
• Threats: overgrazing by the nomadic herdsmen.
• Major Fauna: Snow Leopard (VU), Himalayan Ibex (NT), Blue Sheep (Bharal – LC)

Pong Dam Lake

• It is a reservoir on the Beas River. It is also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar. It lies on the Trans-Himalayan Flyway for migratory Waterfowls

Renuka Lake

• It is a natural wetland with freshwater springs and inland subterranean karst formations.
• The lake is named after the mother of Hindu sage Parshuram.