Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Trashi Yangtse district that lies in northwestern region of Bhutan. It covers an area of 1545 sq. km, out of which 420 sq. km is the buffer zone. It also covers parts of Lhuentshe and Mongar districts. The sanctuary touches Tibetan region of China in the north and India in the northeast. There are about 100 species of mammals that find sanctuary in this reserve including rare and globally endangered species such as Himalayan black bear, musk deer, blue sheep, snow leopard, Royal Bengal tiger and red panda. From mid-November to early March, it becomes a paradise for bird lovers as this nature reserve provides shelter to about rare 150 black-necked cranes in winter season every year.
Children will love to spot a diverse variety of butterflies in Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary. About 130 species have already been recorded here and it is expected that 120 more species may be found here. Natural beauty and sheer biological diversity makes this wildlife sanctuary worth a visit. You can also see several important religious and cultural places such as Rigsum Gompa, the mystic Singye Dzong and Dechenphodrang Lhaghang, which is believed to be the most picturesque monastery in the whole country, situated inside this nature reserve. The Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1995 with an aim to protect and preserve virgin Eastern Himalayan ecosystems ranging from warm broadleaved forests to alpine and sub alpine habitats.
It covers a part of what was previously Kulong Chhu National Park. In 1998, Bomdeling Nature Park had a park manager and staff of its own and its first management plan was approved in 2001. The altitudes vary throughout the sanctuary ranging from 1500 m above sea level in the south to over 6400 m above sea level in the north. Flat lands has been mostly cleared for villages and agricultural land while most of the southern and lower part of Bomdeling sanctuary is covered with broadleaved forests and has many ridges, valleys and river gorges. The central Bomdeling wildlife sanctuary region has ridges and valleys that are covered with scrubland, conifer forest and broadleaved forest and the northern part of the sanctuary is full of glacial lakes, valleys, scrubland, alpine pastures, glaciers, snow peaks and scree slopes.
