View source for Govind Pashu Vihar National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
| alt_name = 
| iucn_category = II
| photo = 
| photo_alt = 
| photo_caption = 
| photo_width = 
| map = India |relief=1
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Map of [[India]]
| map_width = 
| location = [[Uttarakhand]], [[India]]
| nearest_city = Dharkadhi
| coordinates = {{coords|31.10|78.29|region:IN-UT|notes=<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://protectedplanet.net/sites/Govind_Pashu_Vihar_Sanctuary |title= Govind Pashu Vihar Sanctuary |work=protectedplanet.net}}</ref>|display=inline, title}}
| area = {{Convert|958|km2|abbr=on}}
| established = 1955
| visitation_num = 
| visitation_year = 
| governing_body = 
| world_heritage_site = 
| url = 
}}

'''''Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary''''' is a national park in [[Uttarakhand]], [[India]] established initially as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and was later converted into a national park.<ref name=Sanctuaries>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanctuariesindia.com/govind-pashu-vihar-wildlife-sanctuary/ |title=Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttarakhand |publisher=Sanctuaries-India |access-date=12 November 2015}}</ref> It is named after a prominent Indian freedom fighter and politician [[Govind Ballabh Pant]], who became Home Minister in 1955 and is remembered for his achievement in establishing [[Hindi]] as an official language.

The park was established on 1 March 1955, and is situated in the [[Uttarkashi district]] in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The park lies in the higher reaches of the [[Garhwal Himalaya]]s. The total area of Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is {{Convert|958|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://moef.nic.in/divisions/wildlife/18MoM_WL.pdf |title=Minutes of the 18th Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) held on 12th April, 2010 in 403, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi-110003 |publisher=India Ministry of Environment and Forests Wildlife Division |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513111141/http://moef.nic.in/divisions/wildlife/18MoM_WL.pdf |archive-date=13 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The Snow Leopard Project started by the [[Government of India]] is being managed at this sanctuary. Also, it is one of the remaining strongholds in the Himalayas of the [[bearded vulture]], a vital ecological catalyst.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://intowild.webs.com/govindpashuvihar.htm |title=Govind Pashu Vihar - Trekking &#124; Backpacking &#124; Camping &#124; Hiking &#124; Outdoors &#124; Wildlife |publisher=Intowild.webs.com |access-date=2012-07-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023083059/http://intowild.webs.com/govindpashuvihar.htm |archive-date=23 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==The park and its management==
The altitude in the park ranges from {{Convert|1400|to|6323|m|ft}} above sea level. Within the park is  the  [[Har 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 to Hari-ki-dun<ref>https://www.euttaranchal.com/tourism/taluka-village.php</ref> and attract large number of tourists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_WildlifeEco-tourism.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091123040254/http://www.uttarakhandforest.org/Data/SC_WildlifeEco-tourism.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-11-23 |title=Wildlife eco-tourism in Uttrakhand |publisher=Forest Department, Uttarakhand, India }}</ref>

The nearest town from the park is [[Dharkarhi]], {{Convert|17|km|abbr=on}} from the park. The nearest airport and railway station are in [[Dehradun]] at a distance of {{Convert|190|km|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webindia123.com/wildlife/parks/uttaranchal.htm |title=Wild life National Park of Uttranchal |publisher=Webindia123.com |access-date=2012-07-25}}</ref>

Many visitors come to India in order to trek or to see the [[wildlife]]. 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, the British 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 to [[Naitwar]], schools, administrative buildings and a small hospital were built, immigrants arrived from Nepal and elsewhere and set up stalls, shops and restaurants. By 1988, the road had been extended for {{convert|20|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} inside the park to [[Sankiri]] 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.<ref name=Singh>{{cite book|author=Singh, Shalini |title=Profiles in Indian Tourism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jdHeLJPyiF0C&pg=PA129 |year=1996|publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-7024-748-7 |pages=129–}}</ref> Since then eco-tourism has further expanded, and tourists from all parts of the world now visit the park.<ref name=Peak/>

==Flora==
The sanctuary contains [[western Himalayan broadleaf forests]] at its lowest elevations, transitioning to western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests and [[western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows]] at its highest elevations. Trees present in the lower parts of the sanctuary include [[Pinus roxburghii|chir pine]], [[Cedrus deodara|deodar cedar]], [[oak]] and other [[deciduous]] species. At altitudes over about {{convert|2600|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}}, common species include [[Pinophyta|conifers]] such as [[Pinus wallichiana|blue pine]], [[silver fir]], [[spruce]], [[yew]], and [[deciduous]] species such as [[oak]], [[maple]], [[walnut]], [[Aesculus hippocastanum|horse chestnut]], [[hazel]] and [[rhododendron]].<ref name=Sanctuaries/>

==Fauna==
There are about fifteen species of large mammal in the sanctuary as well as about one hundred and fifty species of bird.<ref name=Peak>{{cite web|url=http://www.trekkingingarhwal.com/govind-wildlife-sanctuary.html |title=Govind Wildlife Sanctuary |work=Trekking in Garhwal |publisher=Peak Adventure |access-date=10 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093922/http://www.trekkingingarhwal.com/govind-wildlife-sanctuary.html |archive-date=22 December 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> This is the place from which the Indian Government has inaugurated the [[Snow Leopard Project]].<ref>https://hpforest.nic.in/pages/display/NTRzZGZhiHZhNTZzZA==-project-snow-leopard</ref> This project aims to provide special conservation measures to protect the [[snow leopard]]. This endangered [[Predation|predator]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bigcatrescue.org/snow-leopard-project/ |title=Snow Leopard Project |author=Baskin, Carole |date=11 July 2006  |publisher=BigCat Rescue |access-date=10 November 2015}}</ref> Other mammals found in the sanctuary include the [[Asian black bear]], the [[brown bear]], the common [[leopard]], the [[musk deer]], the [[bharal]], the [[Himalayan tahr]] and the [[serow]].<ref name=Peak/> Smaller mammals include the [[Indian crested porcupine]], [[European otter]], [[goral]], [[civet]], [[hedgehog]], [[Himalayan field rat]], [[Hodgson's giant flying squirrel]], [[wild boar]], [[masked palm civet]] and [[Sikkim mountain vole]].<ref name=WWA>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-wildlife-adventures.com/directory/india/wildlife-park.asp?sanctuary=Govind+Pashu+Vihar&state=Uttarakhand |title=Govind Pashu Vihar: User reviewed profile of Govind Pashu Vihar, Uttarakhand, India |publisher=World Wildlife Adventures |access-date=2012-07-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327022340/http://www.world-wildlife-adventures.com/directory/india/wildlife-park.asp?sanctuary=Govind+Pashu+Vihar&state=Uttarakhand |archive-date=27 March 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Birds found here include several endangered species such as the [[golden eagle]], the [[steppe eagle]] and the [[black eagle]], the [[bearded vulture]], the [[Himalayan snowcock]], the [[Himalayan monal|Himalayan monal pheasant]], the [[cheer pheasant]] and the  [[western tragopan]]. Smaller birds include [[owl]]s, [[Columbidae|pigeons]], [[minivet]]s, [[Thrush (bird)|thrushes]], [[warbler]]s, [[bulbul]]s, [[parakeet]]s, [[cuckoo]]s, [[Tit (bird)|tits]], [[Bunting (bird)|buntings]] and [[finch]]es.<ref name=Peak/><ref name=WWA/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{National Parks of India}}
{{Uttarakhand|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National parks in Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Geography of Uttarkashi district]]
[[Category:Western Himalayan broadleaf forests]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1955]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests]]