Wildlife of Ladakh

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Ladakh is the home to endemic Himalayan wildlife, such as the bharal, yak, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan wolf and the iconic snow leopard. Hemis National Park, Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karakorum Wildlife Sanctuary are protected wildlife areas of Ladakh. The Mountain Institute, the Ladakh Ecological Development Group and the Snow Leopard Conservancy work on ecotourism in rural Ladakh. For such an elevated, arid area, Ladakh has great diversity of birds — 318 species have been recorded (including 30 species, in the 21st century, not seen since 1960). Many of these birds reside at or seasonally breed in high-altitude wetlands, such as Tso Moriri, or near rivers and water sources.

Due to its harsh montane environment, the mammals, reptiles and amphibians of Ladakh have much more in-common with the fauna of Central Asia and the Tibetan Plateau than with the species of the greater Indian subcontinent; one exception to this are the birds, many of which migrate seasonally from the warmer southern parts of India (and beyond), in an effort to escape the summer heat. Before winter's frosts first arrive in Ladakh, the birds that are not residents will, once again, embark on their journey south.