Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary
Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is a high-altitude protected area in the Spiti Valley of Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Established in 1999, it covers of cold desert and alpine habitat around the village of Kibber, at elevations from 3,800 m to over 6,000 m. On 7th April 2013, the area was increased to. Its the largest Wildlife Sanctuary in the Himachal Pradesh. Its also the only Cold desert Wildlife Sanctuary in India.
Geography
The sanctuary encompasses the upper Spiti River valley and surrounding ridges. It borders the Pin Valley National Park to the south via a high-altitude corridor. The terrain is characterized by stark rocky slopes, glacier-fed streams, and sparse alpine meadows.Flora and fauna
A total of 116 plant species were recorded during a floristic survey in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, representing 71 genera and 33 families. Among these, 9 species were shrubs and 107 were herbs. The survey results indicated that the dominant family was Asteraceae, followed by Fabaceae and Rosaceae. The vegetation of the sanctuary is primarily herbaceous and is known for its medicinal properties. Commonly found species include Ratan Jot, Atis, Pashanved, Somlata, Kutki, Caragana, Thangdoom, Gipachi, and Sangthick.Kibber WS supports several emblematic high-altitude mammals. Key species include the endangered snow leopard, Himalayan wolf, and Siberian ibex. Other mammals recorded are marmot, Tibetan gazelle, and Himalayan tahr. There are upto 30 Snow leopards in the sanctuary as of 2018.
Over 90 bird species have been documented, including the Himalayan griffon vulture, lammergeier, chukar partridge, and Tibetan snowcock.