Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS)

About Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS):

• Location: The KWS, famously known as the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary,is located in the Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts of the state of Uttarakhand.
• It was named after the famous Hindu temple of Kedarnath,which lies outside the northern border of the sanctuary.
• Its alternate name comes from its primary purpose of protecting the endangered Himalayan musk deer.
• It is the largest protected area in the western Himalayas.
• The sanctuary was established in 1972, covering a total area of 975.20 km2.
• It lies in the upper catchment of the Alaknanda and Mandakini Rivers.
• The altitude ranges from 1,160 to 7,068 m.
• It is bordered by Kedarnath (6940 m), Mandani (6193 m), and Chaukhamba (7068 m) peaks in the north. 
• The area falls under the West Himalayan Zone in the Palearctic realm.
• Vegetation:
• It is covered with temperate forests.
• The higher and upper regions possess the sub-alpine and alpine coniferous forests.
• At high altitude, lush green meadows envelope the entire region. 
• Flora: Oak, rhododendrons, Chir Pine and Alpine meadows along with several Himalayan flowering plants. 
• Fauna: Some of the mammals are Musk deer, Himalayan Thar, Himalayan Black bear, Snow Leopard, etc, and some birds like Monal, Koklass, and Himalayan Griffon, etc.