In Uttarakhand, the gates of Gangotri National Park, located in the Uttarkashi district, were opened for tourists today, on April 1.
Spread over an area of about 2,390 square kilometers, this park is known as the natural home of the snow leopard. Apart from the snow leopard, black bear, brown bear, musk deer, blue sheep (Bharal), and Himalayan Monal are found there.
Due to landslides and glaciers, repair work is ongoing on the Gangotri-Gomukh trek, and efforts are being made to open it as soon as possible.
It is worth noting that this year, two new trek routes have also been inaugurated for Gangotri National Park. Trekkers are expected to get permission for trekking on both these tracks from May to October.
Gangotri National Park is a national park in Uttarkashi District in Uttarakhand state of India, covering about 2,390 km2 (920 sq mi). Its habitat consists of coniferous forests, alpine meadows and glaciers. Gomukh at Gangotri glacier, the origin of the river Ganga, is located inside the park. Gangotri National Park was established in 1989.
The park harbors Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests at lower elevations and Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows at higher elevations. Vegetation consist of chirpine deodar, fir, spruce, oak and rhododendrons.
Gangotri National Park (GNP) (Long. 78°45’ to 79°02’ East and Lat 30°50’ to 31°12’ North) is located in the upper catchment of Bhagirathi river in the Uttarkashi District of Uttarakhand State, India.
The northeastern park boundary is located along the international boundary with China. It falls under the Biogeographical zone – 2A West Himalaya (Rodgers and Panwar, 1988) and covers an area of 2,390 km², including a considerable stretch of snow-clad mountains and glaciers. The Gaumukh glacier, the origin of river Ganges is located inside the park. The Gangotri, after which the park has been named, is one of the holy shrines of Hindus.
The park area forms a viable continuity between Govind National Park and Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. High ridges, deep gorges, precipitous cliffs, rocky craggy glaciers, and narrow valleys characterize the area. There is a high variation in the elevation gradients from 1,800 to 7,083m, which in turn reflects in the diverse biomes, from subtropical communities to alpine meadows.