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, protected areas cover more than 42% of the kingdom, mostly in the northern regions. Protected areas also line most of Bhutan's international borders with China and India.

Background
The government agency responsible for their oversight is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Services Division. Since 1992, protected areas have been managed by the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation. In 1993, the Fund revised and reduced its extensive parks system for better ecological representation and management. Through 2008, however, protected areas expanded significantly with the establishment of Wangchuck Centennial National Park, spanning a 4,914 square kilometres (1,897 sq mi) swath in northern Bhutan. The parks and sanctuaries are all connected either directly or by "biological corridors." As of 2011, the Fund had recruited 189 field staff, had trained 24 post-graduate specialists, and had provided over 300 short scientific courses. The Fund alone manages a total protected area of 16,396.43 square kilometres (6,330.70 sq mi) – nearly the size of Switzerland and more than 42 percent of Bhutan's total 38,394 square kilometres (14,824 sq mi). With the exception of Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve, these protected areas are inhabited or are located within populated areas.

In practice, the overlap of these extensive protected lands with populated areas has led to mutual habitat encroachment. The Lateral Road, Bhutan's main highway, bisects Phrumsengla National Park in the center of the kingdom. Protected wildlife has entered agricultural areas, trampling crops and killing livestock. In response, Bhutan has implemented an insurance scheme, begun constructing solar powered alarm fences, watch towers, and search lights, and has provided fodder and salt licks outside human settlement areas to encourage animals to stay away.

List of protected areas
Below is a list of the ten protected areas of Bhutan maintained by the Trust Fund:

Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (Lhuntse, Mongar, and Trashiyangtse Districts; contains the former Kulong Chu Wildlife Sanctuary)
Jigme Dorji National Park (Gasa, Paro, Punakha, Thimphu, and Wangdue Phodrang Districts)
Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park (Sarpang, Tsirang, Trongsa, Wangdue Phodrang, and Zhemgang Districts)
Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary (Samdrup Jongkhar District)
Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (Dagana and Sarpang Districts)
Royal Manas National Park (Pemagatshel, Sarpang, and Zhemgang Districts)
Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar Districts)
Phrumsengla National Park (Bumthang, Lhuntse, Mongar, and Zhemgang Districts)
Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve (Haa District)
Wangchuck Centennial National Park (Bumthang, Gasa, Lhuntse, Trongsa, and Wangdue Phodrang Districts)

In addition, the Royal Government maintains the following protected areas:
Motithang Takin Preserve (Thimphu District)

The following areas of Bhutan are protected or maintained by private organizations:
Phobjikha Valley (Royal Society for Protection of Nature)

National parks and reserves
Bhutan's national parks, created since 1960, cover the northern and southern parts of the country. To them were added since 1993 other parts covering a total of 16,396 km 2, managed by the Bhutan Trust Fund.

Jigme Dorji National Park
Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park
Royal Manas National Park
Thrumshingla National Park
Wangchuck Centennial Park
Bumdeling Nature Sanctuary, 1,520 km 2, contains the Kulong Chu Nature Sanctuary, northeast of the country. Between 1,500 and 6,000 m, it is an area of importance for birds (IBA), home of the black-necked crane, the Himalayan crouch and the crown prince. It also contains the Ramsar Bumdeling site.
Jomotsangkha Nature Sanctuary, 334 km 2, in the south, border with Assam, India. Between 400 and 2,200 m. There are elephants and gaúres, among other species, such as the tiger and the dwarf wild boar. Divided into two broadleaf forests, Khaling and Neoli.
Phibsoo Nature Sanctuary, 270 km 2, to the west, on the border with West Bengal. Connected to the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and the Royal Manas National Park forming an ecological corridor that crosses a national road. Between 200 and 1,600 m. Unique in Bhutan because of the presence of the chital deer and the salt or sala tree. There are elephants, Bengal tigers, gaúres, three species of the genus Tor of fish and possibly dolphin of the Ganges.
Sakteng Nature Sanctuary, 750 km 2, the most eastern ecosystem in Bhutan, part of the sub-alpine coniferous forest ecoregion of the eastern Himalayas, with endemic species such as the Himalayan or Bhutan blue pine, and the Pica magpie bottanensis. It is considered the hypothetical place where the yeti resides.
Jigme Khesar strict nature reserve, also Toorsa Strict Nature Reserve, covers 609 km 2 of temperate forests to the west of the country, between 1,400 and 4,800 m, from broadleaf forests to alpine meadows, with the small lakes of Sinchulungpa. There are 137 species of trees, 10 of orchids, 6 of bamboo and 10 of ferns. In the area there are red panda, musk deer of the Himalayas, tar of the Himalayas, clouded leopard and common, and about 5,000 yaks and sheep.
Motithang Takin Reserve, 34 ha. Former zoo converted into a reserve in 2005 when Bhutan's national animal takin was declared.

Ramsar Sites
Bumdeling, 141.5 ha, 27 ° 40'N 91 ° 26'E. It is part of the Bumdeling Nature Sanctuary, of 1,520 km 2, in one of the glacial valleys northeast of Bhutan. Floodplain where there were rice paddies to suffer a series of floods of the Kholong River and its three tributaries. Between 1900 and 2000 m, it is a relatively warmer area than the surrounding deciduous forests of Alnus nepalensis, maples and birches. There are about 74 species of birds, among them, the black-necked crane. Probably snow leopard, tiger, cuón and Himalayan musk deer.
Khotokha, 113.5 ha, 27 ° 26'N 90 ° 00'E. In the center of Bhutan, west of the Black Mountains, the Khotokha wetlands are one of the sources of the tributaries of the Puna Tsang Chhu River, which flow south and provide water for potato crops in the region. Peatlands and subalpine thickets are home to species like the black - necked crane, the musk deer of the Himalayas and the Dhole Asia (Cuon alpines primaevus). The cranes coexist with the farmers in harmony.
Gangtey-Phobji, 970 ha, 27 ° 27'N 90 ° 11'E. In the highlands of central Bhutan, in a wide glacier valley traveled by the Nakeychhu, Khewangchhu and other rivers. Open meadows, grasslands, bamboo, bushes and peat bogs. Black-cracked crane, red panda, tiger and sambar.