Shey Phoksundo National Park (Nepali: शे-फोकसुण्डो She-Phoksundo) is the largest and only trans-Himalayan national park in Nepal. It was established in 1984 and covers an area of 3,555 km2 (1,373 sq mi) in the districts of Dolpa and Mugu in the Mid-Western Region, Nepal. The protected area ranges in elevation from 2,130 to 6,885 m (6,988 to 22,589 ft).[1][2] Phoksundo Lake is the park's prominent feature, located at an elevation of 3,612 m (11,850 ft). The park's headquarters are in Palam, Dolpa District.
Khaptad National Park was established in 1984 on the advice of the region's holy man Khaptad Baba. The renowned Khaptad Baba Ashram, a religious site where Hindu pilgrims
come to worship Shiva on the full moon of July–August each year, is located near the park headquarters. A buffer zone of 216 km2 (83 sq mi) was declared in 2006.
Khaptad Baba moved to the area in the 1940s to meditate and worship. He spent about 50 years as a hermit and became a renowned spiritual saint.
Spanning the northern and southern aspects of the Himalayan crest, the park experiences a wide climatic range and lies in the transition zone from a monsoon dominated to an arid climate. Annual precipitation reaches 1,500 mm (59 in) in the south, whereas on northern slopes less than 500 mm (20 in) of rain falls. Most of the precipitation occurs during monsoon from July to September. The Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba massifs form a massive barrier preventing most of the rain from reaching the Trans-Himalayan area. Winters are quite severe with frequent snowfalls above 2,500 m (8,200 ft) and temperatures remaining below freezing above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) through much of the winter.
The park provides a home to six reptiles’ species, 32 species of butterfly (one of which is the highest flying butterfly in the world, Paralasa Nepalaica). Shey Phoksundo National Park is a habitat to some endangered species of snow leopard, grey wolf and musk deer. Other wildlife like blue sheep, Goral, Leopard, Jackal, Himalayan black bear, etc. are also found here. Also, 200 species of birds including Tibetian Partridge, Wood snipe and Crimson-eared rosefinch are found in this national park. The serene beauty of flora is also extremely diverse in the park. Although less than five percent of the park is forested, the Trans Himalayan slope land provides both sight and home for rhododendron, caragana shrubs, juniper, white Himalayan birch, and silver fir.
The park provides important habitat for endangered species including the snow leopard, grey wolf, musk deer, and blue sheep. Goral, great Tibetan sheep, Himalayan tahr, leopard, jackal, Himalayan black bear and yellow-throated marten are also found in the park. The park is home to six reptiles and 29 species of butterfly, including the highest flying butterfly in the world, Paralasa nepalaica. The park provides habitat for over 200 species of birds, such as Tibetan partridge, wood snipe, white-throated tit, wood accentor and crimson-eared rosefinch.