Conservation Info >> Protected Areas > Kanchanjungha Conservation Area

Just below the looming Mountain Kanchanjunga (8586 m), lies the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area. It covers an area of 2035 sq. km. Taplejung district is also renowned for high peaks (eleven peaks higher than 7000 m) and glaciers. Spread in an area of 2035 sq. km, the area is made up of alpine grass lands, rocky outcrops, dense temperate and sub-tropical forests, and low river valleys with the Kanchanjunga as its crown.

Situated in north eastern Nepal in Taplejung District, the conservation area is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region-China in the north, Sikkim-India in the east and Sankhuwasabha District in the west. The conservation area with unique mountain ecosystems is envisioned as a tri-national peace park with Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of China to the north and Sikkim, India, in the east. Sikkim already has Khangchenzonga National Park adjoining KCA whereas the extension of Qomolungma Nature Reserve in TAR, to cover the land bordering KCA, is in progress.

It was designated as a conservation area in March 1998, and is named after Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586m) - second highest mountain in Nepal and the third highest in the world.

In April 1997, Government of Nepal declared Kanchenjunga region as a Gift to the Earth as part of WWF’s Living Planet Campaign 2000.

Heritage Significance

It is in the eastern Himalaya comprising some of the most stunning scenery in all, of Nepal. Not only does this region host the third highest peak in the world (Mt. Kangchenjunga), but it is also a global hotspot for plant biodiversity. Botanists have identified twenty-three species of rhododendrons growing in the area. In this eastern Himalayan setting, glacial streams cut through high ridges creating remote and steep valleys where traditional farming practices are a way of life. Tucked within these hidden valleys, one can encounter rich forests that support more than 250 species of birds and endangered wildlife. A few days of walking will lead you to high-elevation pastures where yaks graze languidly and colorful alpine flowers bloom. Throughout the KCA, you will encounter a medley of ethnicities that continue to practice traditional subsistence lifestyles, their cultural and religious practices adding to the area's rich cultural heritage.

Vegetation

i) Subtropical Evergreen Forest (800-1,200m)

Evergreen tree species characterized by Schima wallichii, Engelhardtia spicata and Castanopsis indica. However, much of the original forests have been converted to agriculture land.

ii) Lower Temperate Forest (1,200-2,500m)

Also known as Lower Temperate Mixed Broadleaf Forest. It is the home to broadleaf deciduous trees, represented by Quercus, Castanopsis, Rhododenron arboretum and some members of the laurel family. Trees shed their leaves in the spring as a result of drought stress.

iii) Upper Temperate Forest (2,500-3,500m)

Also called Upper Temperate Mixed Forest or Temperate Cloud Forest. Floristic influences from both lower and higher zones. Here, deciduous oaks, maples, laurels and birches intersperse with evergreen firs, magnolias, junipers and rhododendrons. Most trees are deciduous. Trees are covered in mosses and epiphytic plants due to high moister content in this zone. Daphe bholua (locally known as lokta) is harvested from these forests.

iv) Sub-alpine Zone (3, 500-3,900m)

Mostly evergreen conifers interspersed with few cold-hardy deciduous species. South-facing slopes are usually tree-less or contain pure stands of stunned rhododendrons. North-facing slopes have juniper, fir, willow, birch and rhododendrons. In Ghunsa valley, look out for extensive stands of the spectacular Himalayan larches (larix griffithiana) that turn the hillsides a golden-yellow in the fall.

v) Alpine Zone (3,900-4,600m)

Woody vegetation in this zone of moist alpine scrub consists of stunned junipers, roses and rhododendron, gentian and saxifrage abound. Hardy alpine grasses include Carex, Juncus and Poa. Look out for herds of blue sheep foraging on hillsides above tree line. Perhaps, you may see signs of snow leopard that preys on these sheep.