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The Himalayas are not merely a geographical feature, a range of mountains. they epitomise people's civilisational identity that goes back to the dawn of history. If these majestic mountains were not there, the rain clouds sweeping up from the Indian Ocean.
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India Tours » Himachal Pradesh

Wildlife Adventure

The Great Himalayan National Park

Wildlife Adventure, The Great Himalayan National Park The highest mountain ranges in the world and geologically speaking, the youngest, the Himalayas offer some of the most spectacular landscpaes in the world. Among the high altitude wildlife reserves of the Himalayas comes the Great Himalayan National Park , located in the beautiful district of Kullu.

GHNP offers numerous opportunities to experience the natural environment of the Western Himalayan. To really appreciate this unique place one must get out into the landscape and do day hikes or ideally multi-day treks.

The Park and Kullu region offers excellent opportunities for bird watching, wildlife viewing, religious pilgrimages, cultural tours, and viewing local crafts and craft creation. There are options of rafting, climbing, fishing, attending a village festival, viewing local architecture, and sacred groves. The Park itself has two facilities for tourists: a tourist center at Sai Ropa and an Information Center at Larjee.

The Untouched Bio-diversity

The 765-sq-kms area has temperate forests - some of the virgin coniferous forests of the state. Vast areas of alpine pastures and glaciers cap this park. The park area is the largest protected area in the state of Himachal Pardesh. The Park consists of the upper catchment areas of the Tirthan, Sainj, Parvati and Jiwa Nala, flowing East to West and mingling into Beas river. The bewitching scenic beauty of the Park is a complement to its biological richness.

Fauna In The Great Himalayan National Park

Among the animals found in this part of the Western Himalayas are Musk Deer, Ghoral, Thar, Bharal, Serow, Brown Bear, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Bird life includes a variety of colourful Pheasants- Monal, Khalij, Cheer and Tragopan.

A trek throught the park to Raktesar, the origin of the Sainj River and camping amid alpine pastures is a memorable experience.

Conservation Appeal For Visitors

GHNP has invaluable rare and endangered species. The Park preserves examples of many ecosystems that have become rare elsewhere in the Himalayas . It will take much time and effort to understand the intricate workings of these ecosystems. If they are not preserved and studied now the unique forests, subalpine shrubberies, and flowery alpine meadows could be destroyed, along with the many animal species that are dependent on them. In particular the area supported critically important populations of the endangered Western Tragopan, Chir Pheasant, other pheasants, and musk deer.

Western Tragopan

( Tragopan melanocephalus )

Local Name : Jujurana

Wildlife Adventure, Himachal ToursThe tragopans or horned pheasants are medium-sized mountain pheasants in which the sexes are highly dimorphic, the males tending toward crimson on the head and sometimes elsewhere, and with extensive white to buffy dorsal spotting. The wings are rounded, with the tenth primary the shortest, and the fifth and sixth the longest. The tail comprises 18 feathers, is rounded, and usually shorter than the wing. The tail moult is perdicine (centrifugal). The bill is short and stout, with the forehead feathers almost reaching the nostril. The tarsus is very stout, about as long as the middle toe and claw, and in males has a short spur. Males also have a short occipital crest; two erectile and brightly coloured fleshy horns that are erected during courtship, and a brilliantly coloured gular lappet or bib that can be expanded and exposed during display. The sides of the head and throat are naked or only thinly feathered and brightly coloured. Five species are recognized.

Habitat : Rhododendron, bamboo and other dense vegetation in coniferous or Oak forests at between 2,400 and 3,600m elevation, the birds moving lower to 2,000m in winter.

Geographical Spread : Divided into small isolated populations probably numbering fewer than 100 individuals in each, within its former range. Populations are still present in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh , India . Apparently now absent from other more southerly parts of the historical range, extending along the front ranges of the Himalaya.

Current Population : Estimates suggest that some 900 birds exist in Pakistan and perhaps 5,000 in India , but numbers are declining.

Size : Male body length 69 to 74cm; tail 22 to 25cm. Female body length 60cm; tail length 19 to 20cm.

Weight : Not available.

Average Life Expectancy : Not available.

Wildlife Adventure, Himachal ToursNormal Diet : Buds, shoots and young leaves, as well as berries, seeds and insects.

Normal Lifestyle : Among the most arboreal of pheasants. Lives in small family parties. A hen Western Tragopan has been observed lining a nest 12m up in a silver spruce with green oak leaves and sappy twigs. Normal clutch is three to four eggs. Tragopans are shy and wary and quick to skulk among the dense vegetation they inhabit.

Previous Geographical Spread : Formerly more widespread, from Swat ( Pakistan ) eastwards to the Bhagirathi River in Tehri Garhwal ( India )

Reason for Dcecline :
Forest loss, land conversion, hunting, fodder and fuel wood collection, disturbance by humans and their herds of goats.

SPECIAL FEATURES Possibly the most colourful of the pheasants. The species has proved very delicate, and hard to rear in captivity.

Visiting Season for GHNP
The best seasons for visiting the park are summer from April to June and autumn from September to November. The relatively high density of wildlife in the area assures the visitors of sighting the Monal, Western Tragopan, Musk Deer, Goral, Bharal, and the Himalayan Thar. The rainy season from July to August and the winter season from December to March are not advisable periods to visit the park, as excessive damage to the road network and other inconveniences to the visitor are unavoidable.

The best seasons for visiting the park are summer from April to June and autumn from September to November. The relatively high density of wildlife in the area assures the visitors of sighting the Monal, Western Tragopan, Musk Deer, Goral, Bharal, and the Himalayan Thar. The rainy season from July to August and the winter season from December to March are not advisable periods to visit the park, as excessive damage to the road network and other inconveniences to the visitor are unavoidable.

How To Get There:

Air :
The airport at Bhuntar is 10-km from Kullu, where taxis and buses are available.

Rail :
The closest narrow gauge railhead is at Jogindernagar, 95-km from Kullu.

Road :
To get to the Great National Himalayan Park one has to take the eastern divergence at Aut on the Kullu- Manali highway. Aut is 45-km from Mandi and 30-km from Kullu. From Largi which is 4-km from Aut, two routes, one along the Sainj Nala, motorable till Neuli (26-km) and the other along Tirthan Nala, motorable upto Gushaini (28-km) lead to the park. The rest of the park has to be covered on foot as no mule or horse transport is allowed.


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