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Wildlife
More than 770 species of bird and
5,400 species of plants are known to occur throughout the
kingdom.
The Bengal tiger, Greater One-horned
Rhinoceros, golden langur, clouded leopard, hispid hare
and the sloth bear live in the lush tropical lowland and
hardwood forests in the south. In the temperate zone, grey
langur, tiger, Indian leopard, goral and serow are found
in mixed conifer, broadleaf and pine forests. Fruit
bearing trees and bamboo provide habitat for the Himalayan
black bear, red panda, squirrel, sambar, wild pig and
barking deer. The alpine habitats of the great Himalayan
range in the north are home to the snow leopard, blue
sheep, marmot, Tibetan wolf, antelope and Himalayan musk
deer.
Conservation
Significance
The Eastern Himalayas have been
identified as a global biodiversity hotspot and counted
among the 234 globally outstanding ecoregions of the world
in a comprehensive analysis of global biodiversity
undertaken by WWF between 1995-97. Bhutan is seen as a
model for proactive conservation initiatives. The Kingdom
has received international acclaim for its commitment to
the maintenance of its biodiversity. This is reflected in
the decision to maintain at least sixty percent of the
land area under forest cover, to designate more than a
quarter of its territory as national parks, reserves and
other protected areas, and most recently to identify a
further nine percent of land area as biodiversity
corridors linking the protected areas. Environmental
conservation has been placed at the core of the nation's
development strategy, the middle path. It is not treated
as a sector but rather as a set of concerns that must be
mainstreamed in Bhutan's overall approach to development
planning and to be buttressed by the force of law
Conservation
Issues
Although Bhutan's natural heritage
is still largely intact, the Government has rightly
recognised that it cannot be taken for granted and that
conservation of the natural environment must be considered
one of the challenges that will need to be addressed in
the years ahead.
Pressures on the natural environment
are already evident and will be fuelled by a complex array
of forces. They include population pressures, agricultural
modernisation, poaching, hydro-power development, mineral
extraction, industrialisation, urbanisation, sewage and
waste disposal, tourism, competition for available land
road construction and the provision of other physical
infrastructure associated with social and economic
development.
Policy implementation needs to be
continually improved. Sustainable rural livelihoods that
do not rely solely upon natural resource use need to be
developed and supported. and there needs to be far wider
understanding of the environmental threats that come hand
in hand with development, to ensure the future of Bhutan's
rich and diverse environment.
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