>Shyamsunder at 11:43, 26 June 2021

2021-06-26T11:43:06Z

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{{short description| Wildlife Sanctuary in Gulmarg}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
| iucn_category = V
| photo = Flora of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.jpg
| photo_caption = Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
| map = India Jammu and Kashmir
| map_caption = Location of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary in Kashmir
| map_width = 280
| label = '''Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary'''
| label_position = right
| location = [[Gulmarg]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India
| nearest_city = [[Baramulla]]
| relief = 1
| coordinates = {{coord|34|04|44|N|74|21|43|E|display=inline,title}}
| area_km2 = 180
| established = 1987
| visitation_num = 3000 per day (Summer)<ref name=IUCN/>
| visitation_year = 1979
| elevation_min = {{Convert|2400|m|ft}}
| elevation_max = {{Convert|4300|m|ft}}
| governing_body = Department of Wildlife Protection
}}

The '''Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary''' spread over {{Convert|180|km2|mi2}} is a [[protected area]] in [[Baramulla district]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India.<ref name=jkwildlife>{{Cite web|title=COMPLIANCE REPORT of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary: A Biodiversity Hotspot|url=http://jkwildlife.com/pdf/sanc/Compliance%20Report%20Gulmarg%20Wildlife%20Sanctuary.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=2020-11-16|website=jkwildlife.com}}</ref> The sanctuary lies on the north-eastern side of the [[Pir Panjal]] mountain range and falls under the northwest [[Biogeographic classification of India|Biogeographic Zone 2A]].<ref name=jkwildlife/> It lies {{Convert|50|km|mi}} south-west of [[Srinagar]] and {{Convert|26|km|mi}} from [[Baramulla]]. The sanctuary was first declared as a [[game reserve]] in 1981 and later upgraded to a [[wildlife sanctuary|sanctuary]] in 1987.<ref name=IUCN>{{Cite book|last=Green|first=M. J. B.|url=https://archive.org/details/naturereservesof93gree/page/264|title=Nature Reserves of the Himalaya and the Mountains of Central Asia|date=1993|publisher=IUCN|others=Cambridge UNEP-WCMC|isbn=978-0-19-562922-4|access-date=2020-11-16|pages=198–9|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
[[File:Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.jpg|thumb|right|[[Gulmarg Golf Course]]]]

==Geography==
The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the Pir Panjal Range of the [[Western Himalayas]]. The [[Gulmarg]] tourist resort including the [[Gulmarg Golf Club]] and the {{Convert|6|km|mi}} long [[Gulmarg Gondola]] are surrounded by the sanctuary.<ref name=birdlife/><ref name=jkwildlife/> The elevation of the sanctuary ranges from {{Convert|2400|m|ft}} to {{Convert|4300|m|ft}}.<ref name=IUCN/> It is surrounded by the forests of the Gulmarg basin and the upper catchment area of the Ferozpur stream. The sanctuary is bordered by the forest divisions of Jehlum Valley to the north and west, Poonch and Pir Panjal to the south and the Drang village to the east. The highly steep terrain of the upper reaches of Ferozpur gorge consists of [[Panjal Traps|Panjal volcanics]], with exposed acidic [[lava flows]]. [[Limestone]], [[shale]], [[quartzite]] and [[slate]] occur throughout the sanctuary.<ref name=birdlife>{{Cite web|title=BirdLife Data Zone|url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gulmarg-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india|access-date=2020-11-16|website=datazone.birdlife.org}}</ref> The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary has a [[temperate climate]]. Snowfall during the winter amounts most part of the precipitation.<ref name=IUCN/>

==Flora and fauna==
The vegetation of the Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary mainly consists of sub-alpine forests of [[abies pindrow|silver fir]] ''(Abies pindrow)'', [[silver birch]] ''(Betula utilis)'' and [[blue pine]]. Silver fir is restricted to moist aspects and is associated with ''[[Pinus griffithii]]'', ''[[Taxus wallichiana]]'' and ''[[Picea smithiana]]'' at lower altitudes. Silver birch is spread out in the mountain ridges which borders the alpine pastures between {{Convert|3000|m|ft}} and {{Convert|3500|m|ft}}. At lower altitudes, ''Pinus griffithi'' are predominant in the blue pine forests that surround the Gulmarg resort. They are mixed with spruce – ''Picea smithiana'', maple – ''[[Acer cappadocicum]]'' and yew – ''Taxus wallichiana''. The [[alpine tundra|alpine meadows]] are dominated by the [[herbaceous]] flora of different species. These include ''[[Corydalis]]'', ''[[Inula]]'', ''[[Potentilla]]'', ''[[Primula]]'', ''[[Gentiana]]'', ''[[Rumex]]'' and ''[[Iris (plant)|Iris]]''. Daffodils and jonquils of the genus ''[[Narcissus (plant)|Narcissus]]'', which were introduced have become naturalized.<ref name=birdlife/> The sanctuary has also valuable resources of medicinal plants such as ''[[Saussurea costus]]'' ''(Jogi badshah)'', ''[[Picrorhiza kurroa]]'' and ''[[Jurinea dolomiaea]]''.<ref name=jkwildlife/>

The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary has a recorded 95 bird species of different families including [[Kashmir flycatcher]] ''(Ficedula subrubra)'', [[Himalayan snowcock]] ''(Tetraogallus himalayensis)'', [[Himalayan monal|Impeyan monal]] ''(Lophophorus impejanus)'' and [[Koklass pheasant]] ''(Pucrasia macrolopha)''. There are 31 butterfly species reported from the sanctuary.<ref name=jkwildlife/>

The Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary is noted for its wildlife. The mammals found in the sanctuary include [[Himalayan brown bear]] ''(Ursus arctos)'', [[Asiatic black bear]] ''(Ursus thibetanus)'', [[Leopard]] ''(Panthera pardus)'', [[Musk deer]] ''(Moschus crysogaster)'', [[Kashmir grey langur]] ''(Semnopithecus ajax)'', [[Snow leopard]] ''(Uncia)'', [[Tibetan wolf]] ''(Canis lupus)'', [[Red fox]] ''(Vulpes)'', [[Leopard cat]] ''(Prionailurus bengalensis)'', [[Jungle cat]] ''(Felis chaus)'' and [[Yellow-throated marten]] ''(Martes flavigula)''.<ref name=jkwildlife/> The sanctuary acts as a natural [[wildlife corridor|corridor]] in the movement of brown bear and [[markhor]] between [[Poonch district, India|Poonch]] and the [[Kashmir Valley]] forests.<ref name=jkwildlife/>

==See also==
* [[Dachigam National Park]]
* [[Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary]]
* [[Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commons cat|Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary}}
{{Kashmir Valley|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:National parks in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Baramulla district]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1987]]

Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary - Revision history

>Shyamsunder at 11:43, 26 June 2021