Kanchenjunga Conservation Area

The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is a protected area in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal. Established in 1997 it covers 2,035 km2 (786 sq mi) in the Taplejung District and comprises two peaks of Kanchenjunga. In the north it adjoins the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet, and in the east the Kanchanjunga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim.[Bhuju, U. R., Shakya, P. R., Basnet, T. B., Shrestha, S. (2007). Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book. Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, http://books.icimod.org/demo/uploads/ftp… ] To the west it adjoins the Sankhuwasabha District. It ranges in altitude from 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to 8,586 m (28,169 ft). It also falls within the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, which is being developed by WWF Nepal in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.[Aryal, K. P., Kerkhoff, E. E., Maskey, N., Sherchan, R. (2010). Shifting Cultivation in the Sacred Himalayan Landscape. A Case Study in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area. WWF Nepal, Kathmandu. http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/shi… ]

History

When the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area was designated in March 1997, it was Nepal’s third Conservation Area. In April 2003, a Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council was formed with the support of WWF Nepal, comprising seven Conservation Area User Committees, 44 User Groups, and 32 Mother Groups. These community based institutions support effective implementation of all planned activities. In August 2006, the Government of Nepal handed over the management of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area to the Management Council.[Aryal, K. P., Kerkhoff, E. E., Maskey, N., Sherchan, R. (2010). Shifting Cultivation in the Sacred Himalayan Landscape. A Case Study in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area. WWF Nepal, Kathmandu. http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/shi… ]

Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, managed by local communities in partnership with WWF, is one of the least densely populated areas in Nepal. Pristine forests, alpine meadows and high altitude wetlands are home to the endangered snow leopard and red panda, the vulnerable Himalayan black bear, clouded leopard and Assamese macaque.[http://thegreathimalayatrail.org/trek/ka… ]

Vegetation

The landscape of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area comprises cultivated lands, forests, pastures, rivers, high altitude lakes and glaciers.[Bhuju, U. R., Shakya, P. R., Basnet, T. B., Shrestha, S. (2007). Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book. Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, http://books.icimod.org/demo/uploads/ftp… ]

Fauna

Mammal species include the snow leopard, spectacled bear, and red panda. Bird species symbolic of the area include the Golden-breasted fulvetta, snow cock, blood pheasant, and red-billed chough.[Bhuju, U. R., Shakya, P. R., Basnet, T. B., Shrestha, S. (2007). Nepal Biodiversity Resource Book. Protected Areas, Ramsar Sites, and World Heritage Sites. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, http://books.icimod.org/demo/uploads/ftp… ] In 2012, a leopard cat was camera trapped at an elevation of 4,500 m (14,800 ft). This record constitutes the highest known record to date.[WCN (2012). Leopard Cat found at 4500m. Wildlife Conservation Nepal.http://www.wcn.org.np/2012/09/17/News/Le… ]