Deosai National Park,Pakistan
The Deosai National Park (Urdu: دیوسائی نیشنل پارک) is located in Astore valley and partly in Skardu of Gilgit-Baltistan region. The park is located on the Deosai Plains of the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe, with an average height of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above the sea level, covering an area of about 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi). Deosai is well known for its rich flora and fauna in the spring season when it is covered by a variety of millions of flowers and a wide variety of butterflies.Aproaches
The Deosai Plains can be accessed via two routes. One is through Astore District and the second through Skardu District .The road from Astore starts from Chilum, continues through the plains and is asphalt road till the main lake before climbing to Deosai. The route from Skardu is via an unpaved road which can be hiked in two days. By jeep it is only a matter of hours. Deosai Lake is located in Gilgit-Baltistan. Deosai means the "Land of Giants". It is the second highest plateau in the world after Tibet. The beauty of Himalayas is visible everywhere around Deosai. It is also the home to the endangered Himalayan brown bear. Fewer than 19 bears lived there in 90's and now the population is on the increase. The view here is taken at Sheosar Lake in Deosai.
Sheosar Lake
There is a lake named Sheosar Lake in the Deosai Plains meaning in Shina language"Blind lake"-Sheo-Blind,Sar-lake. The lake is at a height of 4,142 m (13,589 feet). Its approximate length is reported to be 2.3 km (1.4 miles), width 1.8 km (1.2 miles) and average depth 40 m.
Wildlife
The Deosai National Park was established in 1993 to secure the survival of the Himalayan Brown Bear and its habitat. Having long been a prize kill for poachers and hunters, the bear, Pakistan's largest omnivore, now has a hope for survival in Deosai where its number has increased from just 19 in 1993 to 40 in 2005.
The Deosai Plains are also home to the Himalayan Ibex, Red Fox, Golden Marmot, Wolf, the Ladakh Urial, the Snow Leopard, and over 124 resident and migratory birds. Birds in the park include the Golden Eagle, Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Laggar Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Snowcock.
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