Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
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Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary is located in the famous Yumthang Valley in North Sikkim. The sanctuary houses a wide variety of flora and fauna.
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 Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary is situated in the famous Yumthang Valley in North Sikkim. It is one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in Sikkim. The wildlife sanctuary is bordered by the high rugged Chuba-Sagochen mountain ranges on the east and Chomzomei Tso extending upto Lava pass on the west. The beautiful Yumthang Chu River flows through the wide valley that adorns the bauty of the place. The sanctuary can be reached by a 7 hrs journey to Yumthang from Gangtok, the Capital of Sikkim. Tourists need to pass through Lachung which is the last frontier village before reaching the sanctuary. The sanctuary is visited by many tourists who come from far off places.
Flora and Fauna of Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary has a close proximity with Tibetan Plateau thus the place the experiences a long winter. The coldest month is January and the chilling temperature continues from early November to end February. The entire valley receives heavy snowfall during this period, which is also a major attraction for the tourists. The valley becomes almost inaccessible due to heavy rain. The best time to visit the region is from November to mid June.
The Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary covers an area of 43 sq kms. Several hot springs, alpine meadows, lush green forested hills with flowering bushes and high snow peaks are the main tourism attractions here. The entire valley is criss-crossed with several small glacial streams. The sanctuary is known for its unique abundance of Rhododendron trees and bushes. Almost 40 species of rhododendron are found here. Apart from Rhododendron the sanctuary is also rich with a diverse species of primulas, potentillas, gentians, saxifrages and poppies. The April and May sees the entire valley flourishing with a riot of Colour with blooming of these flowers.
Shingba Sanctuary is also famous for a large faunal variation. The Serow, Goral, Blood Pheasant, Common Hill Partridge can be named among the many found in the region. The beautiful and highly endangered Spotted Linsang or Tiger-Civet is also found here. Brown Trout, exotic fish specie, was introduced in Yumthang Chu in 1978 and have been flourishing since then.
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