Hemis National Park is a high-elevation national park in Ladakh, India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.[1] It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India (largest National park) and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals, including the snow leopard. The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the catchments of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.
The park was founded in 1981 by protecting the Rumbak and Markha catchments, an area of about square kilometre. It grew in 1988 to around 3,350 square kilometre, by incorporating neighbouring lands, before increasing in 1990 to 4,400 square kilometre and is the largest national park in South Asia.
The park is home to a viable breeding population of about 200 snow leopards, especially in the Rumbak catchment area. The prey base for the apex predator in the Central Asian Highlands is primarily supported in Hemis by Argali (Great Tibetan Sheep), Bharal (Blue Sheep), Shapu (Ladakhi Urial), and livestock. A small population of the Asiatic ibex is also present in Hemis. Hemis is the only refuge in India containing the Shapu. The Tibetan wolf, the Eurasian brown bear (endangered in India), and the red fox are also present in Hemis. Small mammals include the Himalayan marmot, mountain weasel and the Himalayan mouse hare.
Among birds of prey noted here are Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan birds of prey: the golden eagle, lammergeier vulture, and Himalayan griffon vulture. The Rumbak Valley offers opportunities for birdwatching, including several Tibetan species not common in other parts of India. Birds present here include brown accentor, robin accentor, Tickell's leaf warbler, streaked rosefinch, black-winged snowfinch, chukar, Blyth's swift, red-billed chough, Himalayan snowcock, and the fire-fronted serin. 16 mammal species and 73 bird species have been recorded in the park so far.
The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid-June to mid-October; some of these trekking routes are among the most popular in Ladakh. This includes the Markha valley trek and the trek from Spituk to Stok over the Ganda La pass. The best season for spotting snow leopards is in late winters. It is a paradise for adventure lovers visiting Ladakh because there are multiple hiking and trekking trails, apart from the nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
