Wildlife - Tour in Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary
Location : 22-km from Srinagar in Kashmir.
Area : 141 sq. kms.
Best Time to visit : May- August, Upper Dachigam & September to December for Lower Dachigam.
Access : Air-Srinagar (32 km) Rail-Jammu (200 km) Road: Srinagar (22 km)
Introduction : Spread over an area of 141 sq. kms. this scenic Dachigam valley is heaven on earth full of natural beauty with its surrounding mountainside contains the rare Kashmir stag (Hangul), also black and brown bears. If you are adventurous enough to try trekking then the upper reaches are a perfect setting for camping hideout. Musk deers can be seen in this forest, a small species widely hunted for the male''''s musk gland, consider valuable in treating importance and a major export to Europe''''s perfumeries. The two sectors of the Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary - Upper and Lower Dachigam are spread over an area of 141 sq. km. and altitudes vary between 1,700 and 4,300 metres. Two steep ridges enclose the Park with its great topographical variety - deep ravines, rocky outcrops, steep wooded slopes and rolling alpine pastures. Tumbling down from the Masrar Lake (4,300m), up in the high ranges, the Dachigam River winds through Lower Dachigam. A metallic road takes visitors from Srinagar into Lower Dachigam. Upper Dachigam can only be explored on foot.
Wildlife Species : The Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary has twenty mammal species which include hangul, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear,langur, Himalayan marmot,leopard etc. A number of bird species can be seen in the Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary. There are over 150 species of birds like - monal, koklas, bearded vulture, griffon vulture, golden eagle, grey heron, starling, golden oriole, paradise flycatcher, western yellow-billed blue magpie, kestrel, peregrine falcon, black bulbul,etc.
Vegetation : The Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary has over fifty species of trees, twenty of shrubs and five hundred species of herbs. The principal tree species are pinus griffithii, Abies pindrow, Juglans regia, Morus alba, Betula utilis, Prunus armeniaca, Corylus colurna, Quercus robur etc.