Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary

27.28°N 91.95°E / 27.28; 91.95

Sakteng
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)[1]
Location of Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (pale orange)
LocationTrashigang, Samdrup Jongkhar, Bhutan
Area742.46 km2 (286.67 sq mi)
Max. elevation4500m
Min. elevation1500m
Established17th April, 2003

Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Bhutan, located in Merak and Sakteng Gewogs of Trashigang District and just crossing the border into Samdrup Jongkhar District.[2] It is one of the country's protected areas and is listed as a tentative site in Bhutan's Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion.

The sanctuary has three ranges: Merak Range, Sakteng Range, and Joenkhar Range. Sakteng Range is the largest range with an area of 333.67 sq.km, followed by Merak Range (287.352 sq.km) and Joenkhar Range (121.442 sq.km).

Flora and fauna
Black-rumped magpie

The sanctuary represents the easternmost temperate ecosystems and landscapes of Bhutan,[2] and is part of the Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests ecoregion. It protects several endemic species including the eastern blue pine, Meconopsis merakensis var. merakensis, the black-rumped magpie,[2] and the endangered Himalayan red panda, A. f. fulgens.

Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary was created in part to protect the migoi, a yeti-like cryptid whose existence has not been scientifically confirmed, but in which the local population strongly believes.[3][4] The migoi are believed to haunt the northern part of the area.[5][6]

Territorial dispute

See also: Bhutan–China Doklam border dispute, Bhutan–China border, Doklam, and India-China Border Roads

According to Tenzing Lamsang, editor of The Bhutanese, in all official Chinese maps, the sanctuary is shown to be Chinese territory.[7] The area including Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary made news in June 2020 when the Chinese government reaffirmed that it is a territory disputed between China and Bhutan. Bhutan rejected the assertion, and denied that China had ever laid claim to the area in the past.[8]

In July 2020, the Indian Border Roads Organisation was tasked with building new strategic roads to connect eastern Bhutan to western Tawang area such as Lumla-Trashigang road through Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary". World Database on Protected Areas. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  2. Chandra Bisht, Ramesh (2008). International Encyclopaedia of Himalayas. Mittal Publications. p. 68. ISBN 978-81-8324-265-3.
  3. Jordans, Bart (2008). Bhutan: A Trekker's Guide. Cicerone Press Limited. p. 307. ISBN 978-1-85284-553-7.
  4. "Older Bhutanese Remember Abominable Snowman". Associated Press. 12 August 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  5. Johnsingh, A. J. T. (2006). Field days: a naturalist's journey through South and Southeast Asia. Universities Press. p. 283. ISBN 978-81-7371-552-5.
  6. "Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary". Himalaya 2000 online. Bhutan Travel Guide. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  7. Ethirajan, Anbarasan (25 November 2020). "Why Bhutan's Sakteng wildlife sanctuary is disputed by China". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  8. Joshua, Anita. "Beijing now bullies Bhutan". The Telegraph. Kolkata. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  9. India proposes to build road in Bhutan’s ‘Yeti territory’ which China claimed recently, Economic Times, 15 Jul 2020.


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