Deosai National Park

Deosai National Park 

Deosai National Park (Urdu: دیوسائی باغ ملی) is a high altitude alpine plain (plateau) and National Park located between Astore District and Skardu District in Gilgit Baltistan Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Deosai Plains are situated at an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above sea level and considered as the second highest plateaus in the world

Etymology

 

Deosai is a Shina language word which means a land where Damon or God lives,The name came about from the folk tale immortalised by Mian Muhammad Baksh in his poem, “Saif al-Mulook”; the word ‘Deosai’ means ‘the Shadow of the Giant’: the word “Deo” being a contraction of ‘Damon in Balti’, and the word ‘Sai’ being one of ‘Place in Balti’ i.e. the place where the God or the Lord lives.

Balti People call this place ‘Ghbiarsa’ referring to ‘Summer’s Place’ because it is only accessible in summer.

Geography

The Deosai National Park is located in western Himalayas in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. It has an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above sea level, making the Deosai Plains the second highest plateau in the world after Changtang Tibetan The park protects an area of 843 square kilometres (325 sq mi). It is well known for its rich flora and fauna of the karakoram West Tibetan Plateau alpine teppe  eco-region. In spring, it is covered by sweeps of wildflowers and a wide variety of butterflies.

Geology and soil

The soils of this area are severely eroded, of a coarser nature and mixed with gravel and stones of various materials and sizes. In flat areas between mountains, soil is deep with marshy vegetation.

Fauna and Flora

The Deosai National Park was established in 1993 to protect the survival of the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear and its habitat. Having long been a prize kill for poachers and hunters, the bear now has a hope for survival in Deosai where its number has increased from only 19 in 1993, 40 in 2005 to 78 in 2022.

In 1993, after playing an instrumental role in the designation of Deosai as a National Park, the Himalyan wildlife foundation (formerly the Himalayan Wildlife Project) was founded with a substantial international financial support. The Himalayan Wildlife Foundation ran two park entry check posts and a field research camp in Deosai for approximately ten years. Documentation was completed by the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation for the handover of the management of the Park to the, then, Northern Areas Forest Department with the department starting to manage the park since 2006. While pressures that existed in the 1990s, such as hunting and poaching have subsided, the brown bear is still under threat due to pressures such as climate change, and nutritional deficiencies in bears.

The Deosai Plains are also home to the Siberian iBex, Snow Leopard,Kashmir Musk Dear,Himalayan Wolf,Himalayan Tiger and over 124 types of resident and migratory birds.