The Last Shangri-La

In the high Himalayas lies the beautiful and mysterious land of Ladakh. The author takes us on an expedition through this wondrous terrain.

- SANDIPAN GHOSH

Experiencing the Spectacular Landscapes and Diversified Wildlife inEnigmatic Ladakh

Ladakh refers to the ‘Land of Passes’, the territory of the mysterious and globally endangered Snow Leopard and the picturesque and spectacular landforms of the Trans-Himalayas. The Indian Trans-Himalaya, or the Indian cold desert, extends through Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, to northern Sikkim. The region is considered to be one of the highest inhabited regions in the world, with the lowest human density. The inhabitants are either nomadic pastoralist or agro-pastoralist, e.g., the Changpa Nomads.

WILDLIFE AT A GLANCE

As a transitional zone between the Tibetan Plateau and the HindukushKarakoram mountains, it harbours species from both these regions resulting in a rich biodiversity. A few corners of Ladakh are still unexplored and inaccessible. The Himalayan highaltitude wetlands, such as Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tso Karare are unique ecosystems. The Indus is the prime river of Ladakh and its valley has been identified as an important migratory route for birds between Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent. The vast marshlands around the lakes, and the meadows act as major breeding sites for avian species, for example, Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis), Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), Brown-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus) , Great-crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), and Common Merganser (