Yaya Tso, known as a birds' paradise for its beautiful lake located at an altitude of 4,820 meters, has been proposed as Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site (BHS).
The Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along with the SECURE Himalaya Project recently resolved to declare Yaya Tso as Ladakh’s first BHS under the Biological Diversity Act.
The proposed site will cover an area of 60 sq km.
Yaya Tso is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, such as the bar-headed goose, black-necked crane and brahminy duck.
The lake could be reached from Mahe monastery on the way to Tsomoriri lake after driving up to the nunnery and then crossing a small mountain pass.
Yaya Tso is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, such as the bar-headed goose, black-necked crane and brahminy duck, the officials said, adding it also has the distinction of being one of the highest breeding sites of the black-necked crane in India.
