Kanchenjunga Conservation Area

Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
On route to the Pathibhara Devi Temple
Location	Nepal
Coordinates	27°42′56″N 87°55′42″E / 27.7155°N 87.9282°E / 27.7155; 87.9282Coordinates: 27°42′56″N 87°55′42″E / 27.7155°N 87.9282°E / 27.7155; 87.9282
Area	2,035 km2 (786 sq mi)
Established	1997
Governing body	Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forests

The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is a protected area in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal. Established in 1997 it covers 2,035 km² (786 sq mi) in the Taplejung District and comprises two peaks of Kanchenjunga. In the north it adjoins the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet, and in the east the Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim. To the west it adjoins the Sankhuwasabha District. It ranges in altitude from 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to 8,586 m (28,169 ft). It also falls within the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, which is being developed by WWF Nepal in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

When the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area was designated in March 1997, it was Nepal’s third Conservation Area. In April 2003, a Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council was formed with the support of WWF Nepal, comprising seven Conservation Area User Committees, 44 User Groups, and 32 Mother Groups. These community based institutions support effective implementation of all planned activities. In August 2006, the Government of Nepal handed over the management of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area to the Management Council.

The landscape of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area comprises cultivated lands, forests, pastures, rivers, high altitude lakes and glaciers.

Mammal species include the snow leopard, Asian black bear, and red panda. Bird species symbolic of the area include the golden-breasted fulvetta, snow cock, blood pheasant, and red-billed chough.