The cold desert of Ladakh has a distinct alpine, floral and faunal variety and it is a unique destination for wildlife tours. Several flowering plants wild roses, willow groves and some herbs , exotic animals and birds are found here in this high Himalayan plateau. Situated in mightiest mountains of the world, Himalayas, Ladakh is situated at 4,600 m above sea level and has often been referred to as the 'La-pass' or 'Dakh-land' (land of passes). There are hardly any trees and vegetation in sight except for the few narrow valleys that are fertile. However, the sky is clear and beautiful as if we are somewhere other than Earth. Due to the high altitude of the region, the rarefied fauna that can be found here is Oriental and Pale arctic type . In your tours to Ladakh you can see the following animals :

Yak
The largest animal of the cold desert is the yak(dong) , a wild ox. First described only a century ago by the famous Russian naturalist-- explorer, N.M.Przewalski, the wild yak is definitely more imposing than its placid domestic counterpart. Immensely shaggy and weighing about a tone it has curved horns whose tips can be as wide apart as 90 cm. and measure 76 cm. over the curves. It can easily be distinguished by its long black hair, which is tinged with gray at the muzzle. Spending its summers at a height above 6,000 meters, in winter it moves in herds to the lakes, marshes and lower valleys.

Nyan
All the world's sheep are closely related and zoologists generally believe that each kind is only a variation of the same species. The largest and most magnificent of wild sheep is the nyan also called the Great Tibetan sheep (Ovis ammon). Roughly 200 of these antelope - like animals are found in the extreme eastern portion of Ladakh. The horns of the nyan measure up to 145 cm. and the animal normally remains at a great height, rarely descending to a level below 4,500 meters.

Urial
The urial or shapu , (Ovis orientalis), which weighs 85 Kg. and has horns measuring upto 99 cm., is the smallest of the world sheep in eastern Asia , its body just about as tall as its horns. These sheep prefer the grassy mountain slopes, usually at a height of 3,000-4,000 meters. The meeting of this species, as is the case with most sheep during December-January and they give birth to their young around May. The need for protection of the urial is great as they are with in easy reach of hunters. Their numbers have been declining rapidly and it is estimated that there are no more than 500 in Ladakh.

Black Necked Crane
Of the 15 crane species in the world the black necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is perhaps the only one that has eluded the scrutiny of both professional biologist and amateur naturalist. Till today, therefore, it retains an aura of mystery. Discovered relatively recently in 1876, by the Russian naturalist / explorer, Count Prezhwalski, this bird has an exclusive distributional breeding range between the altitudes of 3500 meters to 5500 meters in the tablelands of Central Asia. Its migratory patterns are equally unique.

Ibex
Of the goats in the region, ibex (Capra ibex) are the most distinctive and beautiful . Sporting a pair of fine curved, spiral horns measuring as much as 147 cm. (the largest on record), the large stocky ibex normally move in herds of 10-16. They prefer the black precipitous rocks and cliffs and consequently roam much higher than the smaller wild goats, descending, however, in winter to lower altitudes to feed and shelter. The Wildlife Department of J&K estimate that around 250 ibex exist in Kanji Nala .

Snow Leopard
The beautiful and elusive Snow Leopard is the main predator of the Himalayan region. It preys on the wild sheep and goats of the Ladakh region. In recent times however the increasing spread of domesticated herds of goats has led to pressure on the Snow Leopards range. These beautiful animals are under threat from poachers for their silver gray pelt and are an endangered species. Himalayan Brown Bear, in the Kargil and Zanskar regions, the Himalayan Black Bear and the Himalayan Wolf, The King or Himalayan Wild Ass are also found when you travel in Ladakh.

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