Himachal Pradesh has 33 wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks. According to official records, 66 percent - 37,033 sq km of the total 55,643 sq km - of the Himalayan state is under forest cover.

The lush green valleys and snow capped mountains of the state are home to 36 percent of the country's species of birds. Of the 1,228 species that have been reported in India, 447 are in this state alone.

Similarly, 77 species of mammals - from the spectacular snow leopard to the common Himalayan tahr, a type of wild goat - have been recorded by the Himachal State Council for Science, Technology and Environment in its biodiversity report.

The storehouse of biodiversity also supports 3,120 species of flowering plants, including 187 species of medicinal plants.