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Index :
About | Climate |
Wild Attractions |
Access
Location: Eastern part of Ladakh, J&K.
Total Area: 600 sq. kms.
Visiting Season: May To October
Description:
Hemis National Park is a high altitude protected area
created in 1981 in the eastern part of the cold desert of
Ladakh for the conservation and protection of its unique
flora and fauna. It covers an area of 600 sq. kms in the
Markha and Rumbak valleys.
The terrain surrounding the park is rocky and the thin
soil cover supports a poor vegetative growth. Dry alpine
pastures are present in sheltered locations and the grass
growth is relatively rapid during the summer season after
the snow melts from the region.
There are many U-shaped valleys, carved by the glacial
actions that occurred in the past. Rivers and streams have
laid a thick deposit of sand along their banks. The
general elevation of the parks exact location is over
3,000 meters.
Climate:
The climatic conditions vary from sub-arctic to arctic.
Rainfall is low and the bulk of the total annual
precipitation is in the form of snow. In winter the
mercury drops to far below the freezing point and this
tract receives very heavy snowfall, which remains on the
ground for several months at a stretch. Summers are short
and mild, while there is no marked rainy season.
Wild Attractions:
Dry forests of juniper, birch and fir are found in the
region. Also present are the alpine grasslands and
scrublands. There are many rare and endangered animal
species found in the cold desert area that are also found
in the hemis national park, known to be the home of an
interesting assemblage of cold desert fauna. Amongst these
are the snow leopard, Tibetan wild or kiang, ibex, serow
and Tibetan antelope. Amongst the avi fauna population
found in the hemis national park are the snow, snow
partridge and golden oriole.
Access:
By Air: Nearest airport is situated in Srinagar.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is Jammu-Tawi.
By Road: Leh is well connected with all the major
cities within the state and there are buses, which ply
from Leh towards the hemis national park.
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