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The Torsa Strict Nature Reserve
(officially Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve)
in
Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
covers 609.51 square kilometres in
Haa District
Haa District ( Dzongkha: ཧཱ་; Wylie: ''Haa''; alternative spellings include "Ha") is one of the 20 dzongkhag or districts comprising Bhutan. An alternative name for the district is "Hidden-Land Rice Valley." It the second least-populate ...
, occupying most of its area. Founded along with other national parks in 1993 by decision of the royal government,
It borders
Sikkim
Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
and
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
to the west and is connected to
Jigme Dorji National Park
The Jigme Dorji National Park (JDNP), named after the late Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, is the second-largest National Park of Bhutan. It occupies almost the entire Gasa District, as well as the northern areas of Thimphu District, Paro District, Puna ...
via a "biological corridor." Torsa SNR contains the westernmost temperate forests of Bhutan, from broadleaf forests to alpine meadows and the small lakes of Sinchulungpa, at altitudes ranging from to . Like
Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary
The Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary is the second-smallest national park in Bhutan, covering in western Sarpang District and southeastern Dagana District along the border with West Bengal. It is connected to Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and ...
, Torsa SNR has no resident human population.
Flora and fauna
This diverse ecosystem, home to various endangered species such as the Tibetan Snow Cock, Red Panda, Snow Leopard and Rufous Necked Hornbills, also grows in the reserve the only endemic poppy, the White Poppy.
Rivers
The
Amo Chu river that flows in from Tibet's
Chumbi Valley is called Torsa Chu after it enters the Torsa SNR.
See also
*
List of protected areas of Bhutan
The protected areas of Bhutan are its national parks, nature preserves, and wildlife sanctuaries. Most of these protected areas were first set aside in the 1960s, originally covering most of the northern and southern regions of Bhutan. Today, prot ...
Notes
References
Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests
Protected areas of Bhutan
Haa District
Important Bird Areas of Bhutan
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