SHEY-PHOKSUNDO NATIONAL PARK AREA (3,555 SQ. KMS.)

Location:

Shey-Phoksundo National Park is situated in the mountain region of western Nepal, covering parts of Dolpa and Mugu Districts. It is the largest national park in the country.

Features:

The park contains luxuriant forests, mainly comprised of blue pine, spruce, cypress, poplar, deodar, fir and birch. The Jugdula River valley consists mostly of Quercus species. The trans-Himalayan area has a near-desert type vegetation of mainly dwarf juniper and caragana shrubs.

The park provides prime habitat for the snow leopard and the blue sheep. Other common animals found in the park are ghoral, Himalayan tahr, serow, leopard, wolf, jackal, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan weasel, Himalayan mouse hare, yellow-throated marten, langur and rhesus monkeys.

The park is equally rich in many species of birds, such as the Impeyan pheasant (danphe), blood pheasant, cheer pheasants, red and yellow billed cough, raven, jungle crow, snow partridge and many others.