Shey Phoksundo National Park is the largest and only trans-Himalayan national park in Nepal. It was established in 1984 and covers an area of 3555 km2 in the districts of Dolpa and Mugu in the Mid-Western Region, Nepal. The protected area ranges in elevation from 2130 to 6885 m. Phoksundo Lake is the park's prominent feature, located at an elevation of 3612 m. The park's headquarters are in Palam, Dolpa District.

Geography

The park's elevation varies from 2130 m in the southeast near Ankhe to 6883 m at the summit of Kanjiroba Himal at the southern edge of the Tibetan plateau. Phoksundo Lake at an elevation of 3660 m in the upper reaches of the Suligad river is surrounded by glaciers and is known for its turquoise color. Phoksundo Lake has a water surface of 494 ha, and was declared a Ramsar site in September 2007. The lake is up to 145 m deep, measured using echo-sounding technology. The Langu river drains the high Dolpo plateau located in the north-east of the park. The Suligad and Jugdual rivers form the southern catchment flowing south into the Thuli Bheri River.

Ecology

Fauna

90 snow leopards, with a density of 2.21 snow leopards per 100 km, were found during the study conducted from 2019 to 2022 by Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Other endangered species found in the park include grey wolf, musk deer, blue sheep, goral, great Tibetan sheep, Himalayan tahr, leopard and Himalayan black bear.

Culture

Several gompas are within the park including Shey Gompa, which was established in the 11th century.