There Is No Life Like Himalayan High Life
A brief review on the animals in the Sargarmatha National Park.
I made an error yesterday. Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar Day 3 was published instead of drafted. In 90 days from now this won’t be a problem, but I am determined to publish at least one blog post a day. So, in my goat like state of mind I hustled through all the subjects I could wright about. With great pleasure I bring you a brief review on the animals in the Sargarmatha National Park. You can thank me in the comments.
Heart warming animals you may or may not want to cuddle with
There are over 100 different species of vertebrate animals in the park. Because of the number of people that walk the trails, the animals shy away from the paths. The following is a list of animals that are in the park, but you will probably not see.
- Himalayan Monal (National bird of Nepal)
- Blood Pheasant
- Musk Deer
- Snow Leopard
- Himalayan Black Bear
- Red Panda
Himalayan Monal
I actual saw this beautiful bird just outside of Namche Bazaar. It likes to move through the underbrush quickly, so, have your camera ready. It lives in the forest, and meadows. You can see it between 8,000 and 13,000 feet. It eats plants and insects. They breed in the summer and communally roost in the winter.
Blood Pheasant
The Blood Pheasant is the state bird of Sikkim India. It is small and common in Nepal, India, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. Though it is fairly common, it likes to hide under brush making it difficult to see.
Musk Deer
Musk Deers are crazy! They are 1/2 vampire, 1/2 rodent, and 1/2 deer. If you get the reference, let me know by posting man bear pig in the comments. Despite their vampire like component, they do not live in coffins. Musk deer live in forested, and alpine scrub areas of southern Asia. They are vegetarian and extremely shy. Did I mention, they don’t have antlers?
Snow Leopard
The Snow Leopard is one of the most famous and beloved animals in the Sagarmatha National Park. The snow leopard is classified as threatened, despite growing awareness and efforts to bolster its population. There are less than 10,000 individuals left in the wild. For a rare glimpse of this giant cuddly kitty you will have to climb to 10,000 to 15,000 feet!
Himalayan Black Bear
The Himalayan Black Bear is a sub-species of the Asian black bear. The Himalayan Black Bear can reach a length of 5 1/2 feet and weigh almost 400 pounds. It eats all kinds of foods ranging from leaves and berries to live stock and goats. They migrate for comfortable temperatures and food. In the summer they are at higher elevations, about 10,000 feet. In the winter they are in the warmer elevations, about 5,000 feet.
Red Panda
How can you not love this adorable little raccoon? Yes, I know it is not a raccoon. It is, however, in the same super-family. These cat sized critters are endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching. Their diet consists of bamboo, eggs, birds, and insects. They mainly stick to the temperate forests of the foot hills but can be found a little higher up.
To have the chance to see many of these amazing animals, you can visit Sargarmatha National Park through our Everest Base Camp Trek.
Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day.