A small country in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is home to flora and fauna as rich as they are varied. It is one of the world's ten biodiversity hotspots.
Nestled deep within the Himalayan mountains, Bhutan is a gem of biological diversity, with flora and fauna unlike anywhere else, shaped by the country's wide range of altitudes and climatic conditions. This fragile ecosystem has remained unpolluted thanks to the efforts of the Bhutanese people and their government. Today, 60% of the country's entire territory has been declared protected sanctuary.
Bhutan is an ideal destination for keen botanists, as it is home to plant species found only in the eastern Himalayas.
The country boasts around 46 species of rhododendron and more than 300 medicinal plants. Junipers, magnolias, orchids, blue poppies, edelweiss, gentians, numerous medicinal herbs, daphnes, giant rhubarb, pines and oaks are among the plants commonly found here.
Bhutan is also home to a few rare species, such as the takin, the national animal, which lives in herds above 4,000m altitude. The luckiest visitors may catch a glimpse of a red panda or a snow leopard. The wildlife naturally varies by geographic area: the jungles of the south are home to elephants, buffalo and monkeys, while the high-altitude regions are the domain of yaks, goats and musk deer.
