Ayubia National Park
Ayubia National Park ایوبیہ ملی باغ | |
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Nathiagali | |
Location | Abbottabad, Pakistan |
Coordinates | 33°51′54.83″N 73°8′19.57″E / 33.8652306°N 73.1387694°E |
Area | 33.12 km2 (12.79 sq mi) |
Elevation | 8,000 ft (2,400 m) |
Established | 1984 |
Visitors | 250000 |
Governing body | Wildlife and Parks Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
Ayubia National Park (
History
Ayubia National Park was established in 1984 in an east corner of
The total population of Ayubia and surrounding villages as per a 1996 census is 18,097 people living in 2,311 households.
Climate
The climate of the park is cool in the summers, but harsh in the winters. While it remains only placidly hot in May and June, the cold sets in when the monsoons come to lash in late July and early August. In the winters cold increases in severity gradually until the west winds bring rains, which eventually turn into snow. The park remains snow-capped through the later part of winters.
Wildlife
The park holds 104 species of plants. The main floral species are
- Indian leopard,P.p.millardi
- Leopard cat,F.b.himalayana
- Golden jackal,C.a.indicus
- Red fox,V.v.griffithi
- Yellow-throated marten,M.f.flaviugula
- Masked palm civet,P.l.himalayana
- Asian palm civet,P.h.isabellinus
- Central Asian boar,S.scrofa.davidi
- Java pipistrelle,P.j.himalayensis
- Big-eared horseshoe bat,R.macrotis
- Serotine bat,E.serotinus
- Rhesus macaque,M.m.villosa
- Indian porcupine,H.i.blandfordi
- Kashmir field mouse,Apodemus rusiges
- Ward's field mouse,Apodemus wardi
- Turkestan rat,R.turkestanicus
- Murree vole,H.wyneii
- Kashmir flying squirrel,E.fimbriatus
- Red giant flying squirrel,P.p.albiventer
Some of the Himalayan specialty birds of Ayubia include:
- Kalij pheasant,L.l.hamiltonii
- Koklass pheasant,P.m.biddulphi
- Wedge-tailed green pigeon,T.sphenurus
- Speckled wood pigeon,Columba hodgsonii
- Spotted dove,S.chinensis
- Great barbet,M.virens
- Himalayan cuckoo,C.saturatus
- Crested serpent-eagle,S.cheela
- Besra,A.virgatus
- Golden eagle,A.c.daphanea
- Himalayan black-lored tit,M.xanthogenys
- White-cheeked tit,A.leucogenys
- Kashmir nuthatch,Sitta cashmirensis
Management
The park has been managed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department under the 1975 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Act. The headquarters of the park is at Dunga Gali,[8] which is situated at a distance of 50 km from Abbottabad and 25 km from Murree.
Tourism
Standing at some 26 kilometers from the tourist hotbed of Murree Hill Station, over 100,000 tourists flock to Ayubia National Park and the places around every year. It is well known for its picnic spots.
This National Park also features the "Pipeline Walking Track" that runs from Ayubia to Nathiagali and is 4 kilometers in length.
Since there are 7 villages and 4 major towns around it, and since this area attracts a very large number of tourists annually, there is a large number of hotels and restaurants around the park. In addition to riding trails, hiking places, picnic spots and motels, there is a
Gallery
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Glaciers, Mountains, Valleys & Hills.
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Track between Donga Gali and Ayubia known as Ayubia National Park track.
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A view of mountains from track between Donga Gali and Ayubia known as Ayubia National Park track.
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Cloud can be seen from track between Donga Gali and Ayubia known as Ayubia National Park track.
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Ayubia National Park track.
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A board at the entrance of Pipeline Track showing its co-ordinates.
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Kashmir Rock Agama can be found here.
Controversies
In September 2023, the park faced a proposed de-notification, a decision contested by wildlife department officials, bio-environmentalists, and legal experts who have labeled it as unlawful. Concerns have been raised that this de-notification is primarily driven by a motive to expand grazing areas for illicit activities, notably timber smuggling. If the de-notification is approved, the organization Galiyat Tahaffuz Movement intends to legally challenge this decision in court.[9]
See also
References
- ^ Khan, Ibrahim (July 14, 2010). "Improving Sub-Watershed Management and Environmental Awareness in the Ayubia National Park". wwf.panda.org. WWF - Pakistan. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ "Country Report on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture - Pakistan" (PDF). parc.gov.pk. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 18, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ "Ayubia National Park". tourism.gov.pk. Tourism, Government of Pakistan. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ "Ayubia National Park". wildlifeofpakistan.com. 2002. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ "Ayubia National Park". nathiagali.com. Nathiagali. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ "Review of 'Protected Areas System' in Pakistan: Present status and problems concerning future development (Page 9)" (PDF). dergiler.ankara.edu.tr. 2010. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ^ a b "Ayubia National Park". world-wildlife-adventures.com. World Wildlife Adventures. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- , vol. 39
- ^ "Move to denotify 3 forests as national parks opposed".