| Govind Pashu Vihar National Park | |
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 Interactive map of Govind Pashu Vihar National Park | |
| Location | Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India |
| Area | 958 km² |
Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a national park in Supin Range, nearUttarkashi town in thedistrict andstate of the same name inIndia. It was established initially as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and was later converted into a national park.[1] It is named after prominent Indian freedom fighter and politicianGovind Ballabh Pant, who became Home Minister in 1955 and is credited for establishingHindi as an official language of India.
The park was established on 1 March 1955, and is situated in theUttarkashi district in theIndian state ofUttarakhand. The park lies in the higher reaches of theGarhwal Himalayas. The total area of Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is 958 km2 (370 sq mi).[2] The Snow Leopard Project started by theGovernment of India is being managed at this sanctuary. Also, it is one of the remaining strongholds in the Himalayas of thebearded vulture, a vital ecological catalyst.[3]
The altitude in the park ranges from 1,400 to 6,323 metres (4,593 to 20,745 ft) above sea level. Within the park is theHar Ki Doon valley which is a known spot for trekking, while the Ruinsiyara high altitude lake is also popular as a tourist destination. The Har-ki-dun Forest Rest House is known for its location amidst a valley of wild flowers. The forest rest houses of Naitwar, Taluka and Osla Are en route toHari-ki-dun[4] and attract large number of tourists.[5]
The nearest town from the park isDharkarhi, 17 km (11 mi) from the park. The nearest airport and railway station are inDehradun at a distance of 190 km (120 mi).[6]
Many visitors come toIndia in order to trek or to see thewildlife. State governments are engaged in managing national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and may put the interests of tourists, and the money they bring into the state, before the interests of the indigenous peoples that live inside park boundaries. Before independence, theBritish managed this area for the extraction of timber, building roads and providing forest rest houses. After independence, the state forest department took on this role, regulations increased and timber extraction decreased. Other departments became involved, a motor road was built toNaitwar, schools, administrative buildings and a small hospital were built, immigrants arrived fromNepal and elsewhere and set up stalls, shops and restaurants. By 1988, the road had been extended for 20 km (12 mi) inside the park toSankri and 300 visitors arrived that year. The road was further extended and in 1990, over one thousand tourists, mostly Indian, visited. By this time, several state departments were involved. The wildlife division of the forest department wanted to preserve the wildlife, exclude tourists and local people from certain areas, and plough back any funds they accumulated into upkeep of the park. The tourism department wanted to encourage the opening up of the area, the building of new roads and tourist accommodation, and was uninterested in the socio-development of the permanent park residents.[7] Since then eco-tourism has further expanded, and tourists from all parts of the world now visit the park.[8]
The sanctuary containswestern Himalayan broadleaf forests at its lowest elevations, transitioning to western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests andwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows at its highest elevations. Trees present in the lower parts of the sanctuary includechir pine,deodar cedar,oak and otherdeciduous species. At altitudes over about 2,600 m (8,500 ft), common species includeconifers such asblue pine,silver fir,spruce,yew, anddeciduous species such asoak,maple,walnut,horse chestnut,hazel andrhododendron.[1]
There are about fifteen species of large mammal in the sanctuary as well as about one hundred and fifty species of bird.[8] This is the place from which the Indian Government has inaugurated theSnow Leopard Project.[9] This project aims to provide special conservation measures to protect thesnow leopard. This endangeredpredator is threatened by the decline in wild animals on which to prey, by being poached for its skin and body parts, and by being killed by farmers to protect their livestock.[10] Other mammals found in the sanctuary include theAsian black bear, thebrown bear, the commonleopard, themusk deer, thebharal, theHimalayan tahr and theserow.[8] Smaller mammals include theIndian crested porcupine,European otter,goral,civet,hedgehog,Himalayan field rat,Hodgson's giant flying squirrel,wild boar,masked palm civet andSikkim mountain vole.[11]
Birds found here include several endangered species such as thegolden eagle, thesteppe eagle and theblack eagle, thebearded vulture, theHimalayan snowcock, theHimalayan monal pheasant, thecheer pheasant and thewestern tragopan. Smaller birds includeowls,pigeons,minivets,thrushes,warblers,bulbuls,parakeets,cuckoos,tits,buntings andfinches.[8][11]
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