National Parks, Sanctuaries and Wildlife

Five national parks

• Great Himalayan National Park (Kullu) — notified 1984, declared 1999; UNESCO World Heritage Site, 2014.
• Pin Valley National Park (Lahaul & Spiti), 1987 — snow leopard and Siberian ibex; a cold-desert park.
• Inderkilla National Park (Kullu), 2010.
• Khirganga National Park (Kullu), 2010.
• Simbalbara (Col. Sher Jung) National Park (Sirmaur), 2010.

Sanctuaries

Around 26–28 wildlife sanctuaries and 3 conservation reserves. The ones asked by name: Pong Dam Lake (Kangra, birds), Renuka (Sirmaur), Kalatop–Khajjiar (Chamba), Kais and Kanawar (Kullu), Chail (Solan), Daranghati and Majathal (Shimla), Rupi Bhaba (Kinnaur), Kibber (Spiti, the largest by area).

State symbols

• State bird — Western Tragopan (jujurana, 'king of birds').
• State animal — Snow leopard.
• State tree — Deodar (Cedrus deodara).
• State flower — Pink rhododendron (buransh).
• State fish — Golden mahseer.

Forests

• Recorded forest area about 37,033 km² — roughly 66.5% of the geographical area, but much of it is above the tree line.
• Actual forest cover is about 15,400 km², around 27–28% of the state (Forest Survey of India). The gap between the two figures is itself an exam point.
• Types by altitude: tropical dry deciduous → chir pine → ban oak / deodar / kail → fir and spruce → alpine pasture (bugyal / thach).
• Deodar, chir pine, kail, fir, spruce, oak and rhododendron are the species to name.