| Kanchenjunga Conservation Area | |
| Alt Name: | ne|कञ्चनजङ्घा संरक्षण क्षेत्र |
| Iucn Category: | VI |
| Location: | Nepal |
| Map: | Nepal_Province1#Nepal |
| Relief: | 1 |
| Coordinates: | 27.7155°N 87.9282°W |
| Established: | 1997 |
| Governing Body: | Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation |
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is a protected area in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal that was established in 1997. It covers 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.[1] To the west it borders the Sankhuwasabha District. It ranges in elevation from . It is part of the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, which is being developed by WWF Nepal in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.[2]
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.[2]
The landscape of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area comprises cultivated lands, forests, pastures, rivers, high elevation lakes and glaciers.[1]
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.[1]
In April 2012, a leopard cat was recorded by a camera trap at an elevation of 4474m (14,678feet). This record constitutes the highest known record to date. A melanistic leopard was photographed at an elevation of 4300m (14,100feet) in May 2012.[3] Yellow-throated marten has been recorded up to 4510m (14,800feet) elevation in alpine meadow.[4]