Wildlife in Garhwal » Nanda Devi National Park

Nanda Devi National Park is one of the most impressive wilderness areas in Garhwal Himalayas. It is situated in chamoli district of Garhwal Uttarnchal. It is spread over 630 sq km areas, overshadowed by the peak of Nanda Devi Peak (second highest mountain in India).It was established in 1980 to protect the high attitude Himalayan flora & fauna. The first men on record to have reached this park, while yet in its pristine form, were the the British Mountaineers Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman.

Vegetarian: In total, 312 floral species have been found here of which around 17 are considered rare. The main vegetation here is of fir, birch, rhododendron, and juniper. In the inner sanctuary, conditions are drier and near the Nanda Devi Glacier, the vegetation is almost nil. Starting from Ramani, the vegetation changes to alpine and the place is dominated by the juniper scrubs, which gradually leads to the area with grasses, prone mosses, and lichens.

Animals: There are so many species of animals in this area including bharal, Himalayan tahir, serow, goral, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, brown bear, leopard, common langur, musk deer, brown dear, pheasant and others wild animals. There are also 80 spices of birds in this area. The main attraction in bird watching is warblers, gresbreaks, rose finches, ruby throat and other birds which are easily seen here.

Visiting Season: The park will remain open for a period of six months from 1st may and close on 31st October.

Accommodation: Nearest accommodation is available at Joshimath. There are several hotels and lodges for the tourist rests.

How To Reach There:

Airport: Nearest Airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 221 kms.
Railways : Nearest railways station is Rishikesh.
Road : Well connected to Hardwar, Dehradun, Rishikesh, Nainital, Almora and other destinations.