Sikkim’s lush woods, mountains, and hills are home to a wide range of animals, including musk deer, red pandas, blue sheep, Himalayan black bears, and the rare snow leopard. Many of these are threatened and endangered as a result of encroachments and climate change. The Himalayan crestless porcupine, the Chinese pangolian, the barking deer, house geckos, the Burmese python, and barking deer are all found in the lowland woods of Sikkim. The great pied hornbill, also known as “hongraio” locally, the Chestnut-breasted partridge, the red junglefowl, and other bird species can also be found here.

Wild Life in Sikkim

Red pandas, red fox Vulpes, the golden jackal, leopards, Asiatic black bears, palm civets, flying squirrels, wild boars, japalura lizards, cobras, kraits, and mountain pit vipers are all found in sub-tropical locations. In Pangolaka Wildlife Sanctuary, one of India’s largest bovids, the gaur has been spotted. Sikkim is a great place to go bird watching in addition to being one of the country’s prime adventure attractions. There are more than 550 different bird species there, some of which have been designated as endangered. A significant portion of India’s 1,400 butterfly species, including the magnificent but critically endangered Kaiser-i-Hind, the Yellow Gorgon, and the Bhutan splendour, are also present here. They can be seen in Sikkim’s four wildlife sanctuaries as well as the Khangchendzonga National Park.

Over 22 restricted-range bird species are supported by Sikkim’s extraordinary biodiverse landscape, including at least 19 species that are endemic to the area and bird species that are unique to the entire planet. Sikkim’s distinct geographic location means that, despite its tiny size, it boasts a bird list with over 550 species that is almost as diversified as Bhutan’s or Nepal’s.

Buddhist religious beliefs (IBA)

Sikkim has a very high percentage of land that is officially conserved as protected areas (PA) or Important Bird Areas due to the government’s innovative conservation measures, which are backed by the residents’ extremely benevolent Buddhist religious beliefs (IBA). The state uses a network of 22 IBAs and nearly an equal number of PAs to legally safeguard important bird habitats.