WHERE THE WILDERNESS THRIVES

Answer the call of the wild as seasons transition and wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country open their gates for an escape in nature. Here is Team OT’s handy guide to spotting the rarest of the rare!

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Hemis National Park

One of the largest national parks in South Asia, it is a hotspot for exotic Himalayan wildlife

THE PARK ENCOMPASSES AN AREA OF SIX VILLAGES

Situated amid the picturesque mountains of Ladakh, Hemis National Park is home to exotic wildlife, native to the landscape and climate. Apart from snow leopards, it is the only habitat of shapu or the Ladakhi urial in India. The protected national park is also home to many other mammals like the Himalayan marmot, mountain weasel, and Himalayan mouse hare. Bird watchers here also find themselves mesmerized with the vast diversity of birds including the golden eagle, lammergeier vulture, and the Himalayan griffon vulture along with brown accentor, robin accentor, Tickell's leaf warbler, streaked rosefinch, Tibetan snow finch, chukar, fork-tailed swift, red-billed chough, Himalayan snowcock, and the fire-fronted serin. The serene atmosphere, the pollution-free skies and noise-free environs make the national park a natural habitat for species that thrive in freezing temperatures.

Eating options are extremely limited at the park. it is advisable to carry your own dry food and water bottle

Neora Valley National Park

With its boundaries touching other wilderness retreats, it is a wildlife paradise in north Bengal

THE PERMIT IS AVAILABLE AT THE FOREST RANGE OFFICE IN LAVA