Flora & Fauna

With 72 percent of Bhutan covered under forest, it has a rich variety of flora and fauna. Physically, the country can be divided into three zones.

1. The Alpine Zone (4000m and above) with no forest cover
2. The Temperate Zone (2000 to 4000m) with conifer or broad leaf forest
3. The Subtropical Zone (150 to 2000m) with tropical or sub tropical vegetation

Almost 60% of the plant species found in the eastern Himalayan region are present in Bhutan. Bhutan has over 7000 species of plants, including the rare Blue Poppy which is also the national flower. The count also includes about 300 species of medicinal plants and 46 species of rhododendrons. Some common sites are the magnolias, junipers, orchids of varied hues, gentian, medicinal plants, Daphne, giant rhubarb, the blue and trees such as fir, pine and oaks.

A wide range of rare and endangered species of animals are found in the dense forest and high mountains of bhutan. Bhutan includes 90 mammal species and some 770 species of birds. Some of the species found in the high mountains of Bhutan are snow leopards, Bengal tigers that are found at altitude ranging 3000 to 4000 meters, the red panda, the gorals and the langurs, the Himalayan black bear, sambars, wild pigs, barking deer, blue sheep and musk deer. Birds like the black-necked cranes, white bellied heron, horn-bills, pheasants, bee-eaters, fly catchers and warblers are some of the birds found in Bhutan.