The people of Bhutan have a right
to be very proud of their rich heritage. There is no
other place like Druk Yul, "the Land of the Thunder
Dragon," as Bhutan is known to its inhabitants. Nor are
there any other people quite like the Bhutanese.
photo M.
Noonan
A Bhutanese proverb recalls the
philosophy of the everyday person toward life
Hatred never ceases by
hatred in this world.
Through loving kindness
alone it becomes appeased.
This is the Eternal Law.
Despite its small size, Bhutan and
the areas around it form one of the most critical sites
for conserving the great diversity of species that are
found here on earth. Although it is located high in the
Himalayas, it also encompasses areas of hot tropical
climates. It sits across two biogeographical regions,
the temperate Palearctic of northern Asia and the
tropical Indo-Malayan of Southeast Asia. In Bhutan,
within a span of just 200 kms, one can travel from
subtropical forests to alpine ice caps.
Because of this varying climate,
Bhutan supports more species than any other country in
the Himalayan region. And because of their Buddhist
respect for life, the Bhutanese people have not
characteristically hunted their wildlife . As a result,
even as forests disappear from neighboring countries,
Bhutan is serving as a refuge for many endangered
animals. Their large forests (covering more than
two-thirds of the country) have remained largely
untouched.
photo M.
Noonan