Did you know you can go hunting for the mythical yeti in the remote wilds of the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in the Trashigang District? Or, that the national animal looks like something that’s a cross between a moose, a wildebeest and a bison! Wow! How unique is that?
Straddling two major biogeographic realms — the Indo-Malayan realm–marked by the lowland rainforests of South and Southeast Asia, and the Palearctic realm, comprising the conifer forests and alpine meadows of northern Asia and Europe, Bhutan is one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots. This treasure trove of unique adventures in the wild is also the first and only carbon-negative country on Planet Earth.
Of Snow Leopards, Red Pandas, and Blue Sheep.
An unforgettable journey to the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, accessible from Paro, introduces you to some of Bhutan’s most exotic animals. From Bengal tigers to snow leopards, red pandas to blue sheep– you will find them all, along with common sightings of the Yellow-throated martens, in Jigme Dorji. Spread across the districts of Thimpu, Paro, Wangdue Phodrang, Punakha, and Gasa, the park has an incredibly diverse range of habitats and climatic features which showcase the colours of the wild in countless ways. The glacial heights of Mount Jomolhari and other pinnacles are the home of snow leopards, the more tropical regions, the tiger! From Thimphu, the park is just a 4-hour drive.
Golden Langurs and Baby Love
If you are lucky, you might get to spot the unique golden langur at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, just 60km away from Paro Airport. The park is spread mostly across the districts of Trongsa, Sarpang, Wangdue Phodrang, and Tsirang. The golden langur is listed as the most endangered primate on the Indian sub-continent. A really treasured takeaway is if you find a nursing mother lovingly feeding the cutest golden baby langur. Best to go with a wildlife expert to find such beautiful sights. The park is also home to the Himalayan Black Bear. Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, 54km from Paro, is another delightful spot to go looking for golden langurs.
Colourful Winged Wonders
Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, proposed as a UNESCO natural heritage site, is home to the Ludlow’s Bhutan Swallowtail, the only endemic butterfly of Bhutan, listed amongst the 200 species of butterflies to be found here. Bhutan Ludlow’s Swallowtail is now the national butterfly of Bhutan. The park is also home to18 species of snakes, over 340 species of avifauna and 4 species of lizards.
Romancing the Black-necked Crane
There are three wintering habitats in Bhutan of the migratory black necked crane, categorized as vulnerable by IUCN. These are the tranquil environs of the Phobjikha and Khotokha valleys, Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary in Trashiyangtse and Bumthang’s Gyetsa and Thangbi valleys. Flying in from the freezing conditions of Tibetan Plateau in November, they return only in February, in the warmer days of February. These migratory visitors are sacred and a festival is held in their honour in the Gangtey Gompa.
Tryst with a Brown Takin in Thimphu
It has the large body and hunched shoulders of a bison, impressive horns like a wildebeest, and an arched snout like a moose, with a black tip. It’s a wonder the Bhutanese were confused about what to make of this animal, which also summoned up visions of a goat and antelope. The colouring of its shaggy fur ranges from a golden yellow to brown. So, they decided to not only make this unique muscular creature the national animal; they resolved the matter of its bizarre looks by calling it a takin.
The takin in fact is known as cattle chamois or gnu goat, and is a large species of ungulate of the subfamily Caprinae that is endemic to the Eastern Himalayan region of Bhutan, parts of northeastern India and southwestern China. The one you find in Bhutan is a distinct sub-species in its own right; Its botanical name is Budorcas taxicolor whitei, one of four such sub-species. While this large, muscular creature is found in the high-altitude forested valleys and alpine slopes of the great Jigme Dorji National Park, you can take a 15-minute drive to hilly expanses of Motithang Takin Preserve, on the outskirts of Thimphu. Because of habitat loss and excessive hunting, the Bhutanese takin is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. You can take a picture of the sign which says that the takin “continues to befuddle taxonomists” because of its uniqueness, and for this reason is classified in a category by itself. Lunch time is a good time to be there, as that’s when they are being fed on the preserve.
Did you know there’s a legend which connects the takin to Bhutan’s legendary ‘Divine Madman’, Drukpa Kunley, the enlightened eccentric Buddhist monk? It appears his disciples asked him to perform a miracle after he had partaken of a grand banquet. So he picked up the bones of the cow and head of the goat, both of which he had feasted upon, cobbled them together and created the takin or ‘drong gemtse’!
Going Wild Over Blue and White Poppies
To spot the national flower of Bhutan, the Himalayan Blue Poppy (Meconopsis gakyidiana) which grows at altitudes between 3,000m and 5,500m, go during June and July’s rainy season accompanied by a botanist for a rewarding trip in the Haa and Cheli La pass.
The Ha Valley, a lovely day trip from Paro, introduces you to the rare White Poppy (Meconopsis superb) which appears for a short while in a small area in Toorsa Strict Nature Reserve (TSNR) at altitudes between 4,100m to 4250m.
Bhutan has earmarked 51 percent of its land area as either protected areas or biological corridors, thus putting the most vital strategy in place for the preservation and conservation of its natural heritage. Spend a wild holiday in Bhutan to sample its most colourful offerings that are being fiercely preserved for posterity.