Himachal Pradesh National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Ramsar Sites

Himachal Pradesh National Parks

Great Himalayan National Park

• Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) 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 was constituted in 1984 and was formally notified as a national park in 1999.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Topography: The park is a stunning mix of lush coniferous forests, meadows, glaciers and mountain peaks.
• 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.
• The boundaries of GHNP are also contiguous with: the Pin Valley National Park in the Trans-Himalaya range, the Rupi Bhabha Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sutlej watershed and the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary in Parvati valley.

Inderkilla National Park

• Inderkilla National Park is located on the Kullu Valley (formed by Beas River), the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Beas River passes through Inderkilla National Park. It is a major source of water for wildlife in the park.
• Major Fauna: Black bear, common leopard, Himalayan Ibex (Siberian Ibex).

Khirganga National Park

• Khirganga National Park 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

• Pin Valley National Park is located in the Spiti Valley within Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
• 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 National Park

• Simbalbara National Park is located in the Paonta Valley of Sirmour District, Himachal Pradesh, along its border with Haryana.
• It is also known as Col. Sher Jung National Park.
• The Simbalbara National Park area is situated in the foothills of the Shivalik range, which is influenced by the Yamuna River.
• 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).
• Chandra Taal is near the source of the Chandra River (a source river of the Chenab).
• This sanctuary stands as a crucial habitat for rare and endangered species, including the elusive snow leopard and Himalayan ibex.

Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, within the Dhauladhar mountain range.
• 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.
• It also hosts a mini zoo called Gopalpur Zoo.
• Major Flora: Oak, rhododendron, deodar.

Kais Wildlife Sanctuary

• The Kais Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
• 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.
• The special wildlife attraction of Kais Wildlife Sanctuary is the Brown Bear and the Himalayan Black Bear.

Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary is animal sanctuary at Kalatop and Khajjiar in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
• It lies in the path of the Ravi River near Dalhousie.
• Vegetation: Dense deodar and fir forest.
• Pheasants, serow and black bear are some of the common animals found here.

Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Bharmour area of Chamba district.
• It is situated between Ravi and Chenab Rivers.
• Major Fauna: Himalayan tahr (NT).
• It also houses the famous Manimahesh Temple.

Lippa Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Kinnaur district along the stream Taiti, a tributary of Sutlej.
• Major Fauna: Snow Leopards (VU).

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

• Pong wetland is situated in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. 
• Also called Maharana Pratap Sagar, It is one of the largest man-made wetlands of Northern India, formed by the construction of the Pong Dam in 1974 across the Beas River.
  • In 1983, the entire reservoir was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary by the Himachal Pradesh government.
  • In 1994, the Government of India declared it a “Wetland of National Importance”.
  • Pong Dam Lake was declared as Ramsar Site in November 2002.
• 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
• The Pong reservoir has four major islands, which include:
  • Rancer, 
  • Karu, 
  • Kajal-ka-tapu and 
  • Jattaan da Kual.

Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary

• Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, in the Sangla Valley.
• Baspa River (a tributary of Sutlej River) that flows through it.

Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)

• The Renuka Sanctuary is a nature sanctuary, situated in Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh.
• A small tributary of the Yamuna separates the Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary from Simbalbara National Park.

Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary

• Rupi Bhaba Sanctuary is located in Kinnaur District of Himachal Pradesh.
• It is located on th bank of the Sutlej River between Pin Valley National Park and Govind National Park (Uttarakhand).

Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Churdhar Sanctuary is located in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
• The sanctuary is named after Churdhar Peak.
  • Churdhar is a holy place related with Shri Shirgul Maharaj (Chureshwar Maharaj), a deity widely worshipped in Sirmour and Chaupal.

Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary

• Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Trans-Himalayan district of Lahaul and Spiti, in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
• it is located on the left bank of the Spiti River.

Manali Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located only two kilometres from Manali.
• Manali River (a tributary of Beas River) passes through it.

Sech Tuan Nala Wildlife Sanctuary

• This Sanctuary lies in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in Mandi District. 
• The sanctuary is named after the Shikari Devi Temple, which is a revered religious site within its boundaries.
• Sutlej River flows south of this Wildlife Sanctuary.

Ramsar Sites of Himachal Pradesh

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

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