Wildlife in Ladakh

Ladakh is a mysterious land shrouded in myth and legend. Much of its ancient history is known only through the mythology of its people, as its written history is of very recent origin. Known for centuries as the 'land of passes' (La-pass; Dacha-land), Ladakh was discovered by Fa-hian, who traveled across its inhospitable terrain in 399 A.D., as 'The land where snow never melts and only corn ripens'. Its landscapes are forbidding by any measure. Snow-swathed mountains rise to several thousand feet above one of the most elevated plateaus on earth. A treeless wind-swept country, much of Ladakh can be termed as mountainous, Arctic desert, where everything is parched by the rarefied dryness of the atmosphere. Scattered here and there, a few narrow fertile valleys provide a clear sparkling air. The limpidity of the atmosphere, in fact, gives the night sky a unique clarity, so full and bright with stars that one feels transported to some ethereal setting, far removed from Earth. For endless years, before man had even discovered this remote land, several hardy animals and birds lived together here in an exquisite equilibrium. Circumstances have now changed, as they have almost everywhere else on the subcontinent. Today, Ladakh's flora and fauna are threatened and protection is vital if the ancient ecosystems are to survive the trauma of modern man. This mysterious "land of passes" (La-pass, Dakh-land) stands at a height 4,600 meters in the outer Himalayas with its peaks, ranging from 5,800 to 7,600 meters forming the most striking feature of the area. The Himalayas, higher than the mightiest mountains anywhere in the world, are clearly the result of a process of folding-a moment of the coastal plates by which one drifting piece of land overrides another. When two such drifting continental pieces collide and wrap, the resultant wrinkles form mountains. This Himalayan massif is believed to be the result of such a collision between the Indian and Asian plates (geologically a comparatively recent phenomenon). Consequently, much of the high altitude Himalayan fauna is typical of both the oriental and Palearctic regions. Ladakh's most striking feature is nakedness of the country. Lying as it does to the North of the main Himalayan range, most of Ladakh falls in the Palearctic rather than the oriental region. Ladakh possesses virtually no natural forests, though along riverbanks and valleys some greenery does exist. The lower mountain slopes are sparse but higher up, near the snow line, wild rose, willow and herbaceous plants have successfully colonized the slopes. This is the alpine zone. While soil, wind, precipitation and exposure are important determinants in the arrangement of specific life, the temperature differential due to altitude is by far the most important factor. Because of the decrease in the temperature, vegetation becomes more sparse and stunted as one ascends the slopes. In this extremely harsh environment the untrained eye would hardly see any evidence of wildlife at all. Animals, which have adapted to the rigorous conditions however, thrive on the minimal vegetation, poor shelter, rocky terrain and bitter cold. Nevertheless, most creatures, notably the ungulates, do migrate to lower regions in winter while others, like the brown bear and marmots, choose to hibernate. Ironically, at this altitude many animals suffer from "mountain sickness" because of the lack of oxygen! Their bodies however, seem to adopt to this condition, as the number of red blood corpuscles increases along with blood acidity. Most large mammals have a unique devise for protection against the cold-- a highly insulated shaggy coat. They, therefore, have less need for shelter from the elements. This perhaps why more species of goat and sheep live here in open country than anywhere else on earth.

Yak

The largest animal of the cold desert is the yak (dong), a wild ox. First described only a century ago by the famous Russian naturalist-- explorer, N. M. Przewalski, the wild yak is definitely more imposing than its placid domestic counterpart. Immensely shaggy and weighing about a tone it has curved horns whose tips can be as wide apart as 90 cm. and measure 76 cm. over the curves. It can easily be distinguished by its long black hair, which is tinged with gray at the muzzle. Spending its summers at a height above 6,000 meters, in winter it moves in herds to the lakes, marshes and lower valleys.

Nyan

All the world's sheep are closely related and zoologists generally believe that each kind is only a variation of the same species. The largest and most magnificent of wild sheep is the nyan also called the Great Tibetan sheep (Ovis ammon). Roughly 200 of these antelope - like animals are found in the extreme eastern portion of Ladakh. The horns of the nyan measure up to 145 cm. and the animal normally remains at a great height, rarely descending to a level below 4,500 meters.

Urial

The urial or shapu, (Ovis orientalis), which weighs 85 Kg. and has horns measuring upto 99 cm., is the smallest of the world sheep in eastern Asia, its body just about as tall as its horns. These sheep prefer the grassy mountain slopes, usually at a height of 3,000 - 4,000 meters. The meeting of this species, as is the case with most sheep during December-January and they give birth to their young around May. The need for protection of the urial is great as they are with in easy reach of hunters. Their numbers have been declining rapidly and it is estimated that there are no more than 500 in Ladakh, while a survey by the Wildlife Department of Jammu & Kashmir puts another population in the Markha and Rumbak valleys at only around 34-50. The most common and wide spread of the sheep in the Ladakh region is the bharal or the blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur). Found at an altitude of almost 6,000 meters, in summer they graze in huge herds on the rich and abundant grasses of the alpine meadows. Their brownish-gray coloring provides them with protective camouflage and as they often stand motionless they can be extremely difficult to spot but, when alarmed, bharal will bolt swiftly to safety. Strangely, bharal seem to bear some morphological traits of both sheep and goats.

Predators

(Snow leopard, Brown bear, Wolf, Lynx) High in the mountains, this solitary animal hunts goats, ibex, blue sheep and shapu by following them up and down the slopes in their seasonal migration. During the winter, snow leopards stalk the lower mountains, often feeding on domestic stock. Observations seem to indicate that this animal hunts in the early morning and late afternoons. Despite the heavy toll taken by poachers, the population of the snow leopard in Ladakh is estimated to be roughly 200. With almost 40-50 skins smuggled out of Ladakh in the 1950's, 30-40 in the 1960's and 10-15 still being slipped out, the main enemy of this animal is, undoubtedly, man. Two other carnivores inhabiting this mountain home for the great bears. The medium-sized Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thlbetanus), a forest dweller, is found up to heights of 4,500 meters in the summer. Like most bears it feeds on practically anything ranging from fruit and ripe corn to sheep, goats, deer and even termites. Its usual home is in dug-out hollows or caves. Further up the mountain lives the more adaptive brown bear(Ursus arctos) which has a population of around 200(of which approximately 20 are found in the Kargil area- the rest in the Zanskar valley). Three or four pairs of black bears have also been spotted here during the months of July and August when fruits like apricots and apples ripen.
The wolf population in Ladakh is likely to be around 300 and consists of two basic varieties. The northern race is light fawn and brown whereas the southern is invariably darker. These wolves, probably the most hated predators in Ladakh, hunt in pairs and move over vast territories. It is observed one particular regularly moving across a narrow valley at dusk. The red fox exists in larger numbers but many are, unfortunately trapped for fur. From western Ladakh alone, about skins are possibly smuggled out every year. The stone marten, a pretty, alert and active animal is also hunted for its fur; again about 400 skins are smuggled out annually.

Snow leopard

The snow leopard inhabits the high mountains of Central Asia, and within India, is found along the northern border, in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.The Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir includes a large area of potential habitat and reports indicate that a relatively undistributed snow leopard population may exist in a few sites. Since the Ladakh area is known to support snow leopard populations, and some of the habitat is fairly accessible, this may prove to be a feasible study site for ecological investigation. The snow leopard is considered endangered in every region in which it is found. Three factors contribute towards a decline in its population.Firstly, the animal is hunted by the locals for its valuable pelt and also to protect livestock. Secondly, ungulate prey of the snow leopard, wild sheep and goats, have been reduced by hunting for human consumption and thirdly, domestic livestock has displaced wild ungulates from their grazing areas. If this trend continues, it is doubtful whether the snow leopard will survive, except in a few isolated areas or in captivity. The Fifth International Snow Leopard Symposium , which took place from October 13-15,1986, in srinagar, was attended by representatives from over 21 countries. Its basic purpose is to promote measures and exchange information which will help to ensure the perpetuation of viable breeding populations of the species.

Avifauna

The Himalayan and Tibetan snowcocks-large majestic birds much hunted for their meat, and partridges breed at a height about 5,000 meters. The rest are visitors, moving down to the foothills in autumn in an annual ritual of altitudinal migration. Other birds move still further, horizontally following ancient routes of global migration. The highest realm belongs to the birds of prey and carrion eaters. These include choughs, griffon vultures, ravens and lammergeiers(bearded vultures), which follow man and animal wherever they roam. Choughs and ravens have been seen as high as 6,150 meters along with the lammergeiers, which have a spectacular three meters wingspan, which enables them to glide on high powerful upcurrents. Lammergeiers are never found far from mountains and locals awed by their size falsely believe them to be capable of carrying away young lambs.

Habitat

Biologically, everything about the crane group, Gruidae, seems to indicate that the birds are of very old origin having appeared on earth some 60 million years before man. Now, probably, they are on their way out. They are not found in abundance anywhere except in several Buddhist countries like Japan and Korea, where they receive socio-religious protection. Small groups of cranes do exist elsewhere in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and Australia, but nowhere in South America, the Malayan archipelago, Pacific Islands or New Zealand. Most species of cranes are migratory and some of them travel awesome distances each year. As for the black-necked crane, it chooses to migrate to higher altitudes to nest.

Vital statistics

The black-necked crane has a very pale gray, almost white, body with a black neck, head, feet and well-developed secondaries. Its bill is greenish. All cranes have long legs, long straight bills and necks and an elevated hind toe ,which normally bears none of the bird’s weight when it walks. They fly with their heads and necks straight out, their legs and feet stretched out behind and with a regular, steady and slow downward wing beat matched by a rapid upstroke. They may circle at tremendous heights (sometimes 5 km above the ground) to form long V-s – an extremely beautiful sight. Cranes seldom glide, except when preparing to land. A distinctive feature about this bird is its windpipe,which is shaped differently in each species but is always elaborately coiled somewhat like a trumpet.

Duration : 20 Days / 19 Nights
Destinations Covered : Leh - Spituk - Zinchen - Rumbak Valley - Shingo - Skiu - Markha - Thachungtse - Nimaling - Gya.

Day 01: Arrive Leh

Day 02: Leh

. Sightseeing. Overnight hotel.

Day 03: Leh.

Sightseeing. O/N Hotel

Day 04: Spituk

Drive to Spituk & trekinchen. O/N camp.

Day 05: Zinchen

Trek Zinchen -Rumbak.

Day 06 to 10: Rumbak Valley

Explore wildlife in Rumbak Valley. O/N camp.

Day 11: Shingo

Trek to Shingo. O/N camp.

Day 12: Skiu

Trek to Skiu. O/N camp.

Day 13: Markha

Trek to Markha. Camp above the Village.

Day 14 to 16: Markha

Explore Wildlife in Markha Valley.

Day 17: Thachungtse

Trek to Thachungtse. O/N camp.

Day 18: Nimaling

Trek to Nimaling.

Day 19: Gya

Trek to Gya/Latho, pickup and drive to Leh. O/N hotel.

Day 20: Departure

Departure transfer to fly to Delhi