Himalaya

The unequaled height of the Himalaya, stretching from Pakistan to China's Yunnan province, the coldest home for monkeys, requiring thick fur and cuddling together in a tight social structure, implies great isolation and unique adaption for wildlife and cultures. Although snow leopards ravage the precious herds locked up in homes in India's dry Ladakh, the Buddhist people's respect for life extends to welcoming a natural reserve being set aside so they can feed again on their natural wild prey. The altitude causes problematic oxygen scarcity, the highest resident being a jumping spider feeding on insects blown up by icy winds. Only modern equipment allows humans to go up even onto the Mount Everest, yet horribly health-strained. Written by KGF Vissers