Hemis National Park, Hemis, Jammu & Kashmir India

The park is known as the “Snow Leopard Capital of India” situated at an altitudinal range of 3,300 to 6,000 m, and hosts a remarkable variety of wildlife. Finally, the park came into existence in 1981 as one of the national parks of India. It is also bounded by the historical river of Indus that make the area one of the prime attractions for domestic and international tourists where they have full opportunity to navigate the natural beauty with mountains of various shapes and sizes, mixed with vast flatlands, deserts etc.

Hemis National Park (or Hemis High Altitude National Park) is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India (and thus the largest national park of India), 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. Hemis National Park is India's only protected area inside the Palearctic ecozone, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.

The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the cachements of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.

More than 16 species of mammals that includes Rare snow leopard, Ibex, Serow, Tibetan Antelope, Himalayan Wolf, Wild Dog, Pallas's Cat, Red Fox, Bharal (Blue Sheep) , Ladakh Urial, Tibetan Argali, Long-tailed Marmot and Himalayan Mouse Hare and 72 species of birds such as Golden Eagle, Himalayan Griffon, Lammergeier, Little Owl and Common Kestrel etc are the main inhabitants of this park.

Hemis national park is home to a number of exotic animal and bird species. Over 16 mammal and 73 bird species have been recorded in the park so far, many of those are only found in the Himalayan region and considered to be highly endangered.

Besides these rare animals, nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts are also presented with a life time opportunity of spotting birds that are unique to the area and are not spotted anywhere in the lower altitudinal regions. The avifauna includes the Golden Eagle, Himalayan Griffon, Lammergeier, Little Owl and Common Kestrel among other variety of birds.