Hemis

National Park

India · South Asia (Ladakh, Himalaya)

South Asia (Ladakh, Himalaya)Declared in 19814,400 km²

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The highest snow leopard density of any protected area in the world

Area

4,400 km²

Protection category

UICN II

Parque nacional — what the IUCN categories mean

Declared in

1981

Region

South Asia (Ladakh, Himalaya)

Climate

Tropical, Árido / desértico, Polar / frío, Montañoso

Best time

November to March

Length of its routes

7–10 days

Difficulty of its routes

Alta

Polar

Plan your visit

Best time: November to March
Length of its routes: 7–10 days
Difficulty of its routes: Alta
Area: 4,400 km²

Highlight

The highest snow leopard density of any protected area in the world

Declared in 1981 in Ladakh, in India's far north, it is the country's only protected area in the Palaearctic ecozone, with a climate and wildlife closer to Central Asia than to the rest of the Indian subcontinent. It holds the highest known snow leopard density of any protected area on the planet, which has made Hemis the world's benchmark destination for glimpsing this extraordinarily elusive cat — helped by open terrain and by abundant populations of bharal, the Himalayan blue sheep that is its main prey, which make it easier to watch through the winter months.