Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park
- The Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Parks is an UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uttarakhand, India.
- It possesses two core areas about 20km apart, made up by the Nanda Devi National Park and the Valley of Flowers National Park, plus an encompassing Combined Buffer Zone.
- In 1988 the site was inscribed as Nanda Devi National Park (India).
- In 2005 it was expanded to encompass the Valley of Flowers National Park and a larger buffer zone and it was renamed to Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks.
Nanda Devi National Park
- Established in 1982, as a national park.
- Nanda Devi National Park situated in eastern Uttaranchal (Chamoli district) State and some 300 kilometers (km) northeast of Delhi.
- The height of Nanda Devi is 7,816 m (25,643 ft).
- Sir Edmund Hillary has described that the “Nanda Devi Sanctuary is God-gifted wilderness-India’s-training ground for adventure” in his autobiography.
- It was tagged as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988
- It was established as Sanjay Gandhi National Park in 1982 but was later converted as Nanda Devi National Park.
- There are around 312 floral species out of which there are 17 rare species that have been found here. Fir, birch, rhododendron, and juniper are the main flora.
- Common larger mammals are Himalayan musk deer, mainland serow and Himalayan tahr. Carnivores are represented by snow leopard, Himalayan black bear and perhaps also brown bear.
- Vegetation is scarce in the inner sanctuary due to the dryness of the conditions. Tourists will not find vegetation near Nanda Devi Glacier. Ramani, alpine, prone mosses and lichens are other notable floral species found in Nanda Devi National Park.
Valley of Flowers National Park
- Located in North Chamoli and Pithoragarh, in the state of Uttarakhand
- Known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers.
- At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east.
- Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya.
- The park lies completely in the temperate alpine zone.
- Home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear, red fox and blue sheep.
- Birds found in the park include Himalayan monal pheasant and other high altitude birds.
Source: whc.unesco.org
