Eastern Himalayas

Only in the Eastern Himalayas can one find rhinos, tigers and elephants coexisting with millions of people in the Terai grasslands. This is also the land of snow leopards, red pandas and the unique takin - Bhutan's national animal. There are extraordinary opportunities for conservation to help the people and wildlife of the region live and prosper together - such as in the North Bank Landscape - the last refuge for elephants in the Eastern Himalayas. 

Two greater one-horned rhinos stretch in tall grain.
© WWF / Jeff Foott

Greater one horned rhino
Once found across the entire northern part of the Indian sub-continent, the greater one-horned rhino is the largest of all rhino species. Today there are fewer than 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos left in the wild, with the major populations in Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Kaziranga National Park in India. Read the results of WWF's recent rhino census in Nepal  and a personal account of India's first rhino translocation.

2006 was not a good year for rhinos in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park. Between July and December 2006, 12 rhinos were lost to poachers. In response, WWF launched “Operation Unicornis” to combat the indiscriminate poaching of this magnificent species. As a result, seven notorious poachers and rhino horn traders were apprehended by enforcement agencies. Since January 2007, rhino poaching has been reduced by 92 percent. 

© WWF-Canon / A. Christy WILLIAMS

Asian elephant
Sacred but exploited, the Asian elephant has been worshipped for centuries and today is still used for ceremonial and religious purposes. Domesticated elephants are found throughout south and southeast Asia and are trained as working animals. Their ability to work in rugged country makes them valuable in forestry operations, while in India most Forest Department-owned elephants are now used for patrolling and anti-poaching work, especially during monsoon season.

With more than 20 percent of the world's human population living in or near Asian elephant habitat, there are constant challenges. Reduction and fragmentation of the forest habitat is constricting elephants to small numbers that cannot survive the long term. This often puts elephants in direct conflict with humans, resulting in destroyed crops and elephant attacks.

© WWF-Canon / R.Isotti-A.Cambone

Indian tiger
The Eastern Himalayas is home to the world's largest Indian - or Bengal - tiger population. However, a growing human population is pushing the tiger out of its natural habitat and causing increasing human-tiger conflicts. The tiger also faces a serious threat from poachers. Although accurate figures are not available throughout its range, current estimates show there are only 3,000-4,500 Bengal tigers surviving in the wild. WWF has been working with local partners to strengthen anti-poaching efforts and to reduce threats to the natural habitat - both in India and Nepal. 

Snow leopards live in mountain steppes and coniferous forest scrub at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 6000 meters.
© Martin HARVEY/WWF-Canon

Snow leopard
The strikingly beautiful snow leopard remains one of the most mysterious cats in the world. This roving, high altitude cat is rarely sighted by local people. Because it is so elusive, accurate population numbers are hard to come by, although estimates range from 100 to 200 individuals. Snow leopards live in the mountain regions of central Asia. In India their geographical cover encompasses a large part of the Western Himalaya including the states of Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Uttarakhand with a sizable population in Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh in Eastern Himalaya in addition to Nepal, Bhutan and parts of China. Read a first-hand account of a snow-leopard sighting.