Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary is located 54 km from Pithoragarh
near Askot
in Uttarakhand
state of India
. This sanctuary has been set up primarily with the object of conserving the musk deer
(Moschus leucogaster) and its habitat
. Intensive efforts have been initiated to conserve this rare species. Other mammals found in this sanctuary include the leopard
, jungle cat
, civet cat
, barking deer, serow
, goral
and brown bear
. Many species of high altitude birds are also found in this sanctuary.
of Kumaun. It lies between 29°46'45" to 30°27'45"N latitude and 81°01'53" to 80°16'25"E longitude (central coordinate: 30°07′15"N 80°39′09"E) and covers almost 600 square kilometre. The River Kali forms the international boundary and separates it from Nepal
in the east and to the west it is bounded by West Almora Forest Division, to the north by Tibet
and the south by Pithoragarh Forest Division.
The famous peaks: Panchchuli
, Neodhura, Naukana, Chhiplakot
, Najirikot; the passes: Lipu lekh, Lumpiya lekh and Mankshang lekh: and the religious places: Bhanar, Chiplakot, Niirikot, Panchachuli, Kalapani
and Chota Kailash (Adi Kailash) form a part of the Sanctuary. The Dhauli and Ikli rivers originate from the area and Gori Ganga passes through it. The forest blocks: Rugling, Jyotigad, Hiragumarhi, Duk, Sobla, East Ghandhura, West Ghandhura, Maitham, Akla and Daphia are biodiversity rich habitats of the Sanctuary.
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh, is a city with a Municipal Board in the Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, was carved out of district of Almora in 1962.-Geography:...
near Askot
Askot
Askot or Askote is a small Himalayan town in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand in India. It is the part of Kanalichhina development Block and Didihat Tehsil....
in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
state of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. This sanctuary has been set up primarily with the object of conserving the musk deer
Musk deer
Musk deer are artiodactyls of the genus Moschus, the only genus of family Moschidae. They are more primitive than the cervids, or true deer, in not having antlers or facial glands, in having only a single pair of teats, and in possessing a gall bladder, a caudal gland, a pair of tusk-like teeth...
(Moschus leucogaster) and its habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
. Intensive efforts have been initiated to conserve this rare species. Other mammals found in this sanctuary include the leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, jungle cat
Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....
, civet cat
Civet cat
Civet cat is an imprecise term that is used for a variety of cat-like creatures including:*Civets, of the families Viverridae and Nandiniidae*Ring-tailed Cat or North American Civet Cat , related to the raccoons...
, barking deer, serow
Serow
Serow may refer to:*Three species of Asian ungulate in the genus Capricornis**Japanese Serow**Mainland Serow**Taiwan Serow* Serow, Iran, a city in Urmia County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran*Alternative spelling of Serov...
, goral
Nemorhaedus
The gorals are four species in the genus Nemorhaedus or Naemorhedus. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance....
and brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
. Many species of high altitude birds are also found in this sanctuary.
Geography
Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, with altitude range from 600 m (1,968.5 ft) to 6905 m (22,654.2 ft) is located in the Pithoragarh districtPithoragarh District
Pithoragarh district is the easternmost Himalayan district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is naturally landscaped with high Himalayan mountains, snow capped peaks, passes, valleys, alpine meadows, forests, waterfalls, perennial rivers, glaciers and springs. The flora and fauna of this area...
of Kumaun. It lies between 29°46'45" to 30°27'45"N latitude and 81°01'53" to 80°16'25"E longitude (central coordinate: 30°07′15"N 80°39′09"E) and covers almost 600 square kilometre. The River Kali forms the international boundary and separates it from Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
in the east and to the west it is bounded by West Almora Forest Division, to the north by Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and the south by Pithoragarh Forest Division.
The famous peaks: Panchchuli
Panchchuli
The Panchchuli peaks are a group of five snow-capped Himalayan peaks lying at the end of the eastern Kumaon region, near Munsiyari, in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand state, India. The peaks have altitudes ranging from to . They form the watershed between the Gori and the Darmaganga valleys....
, Neodhura, Naukana, Chhiplakot
Chhiplakot
Chhiplakot is the High Himalayan Mountain in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India at an altitude of 3290 meters. Full of alpine flora and vegetation, Chhiplakot is famous for its lush green alpine meadow called Bugyal. The slopes provide a skii range, and a local cave plays host to a...
, Najirikot; the passes: Lipu lekh, Lumpiya lekh and Mankshang lekh: and the religious places: Bhanar, Chiplakot, Niirikot, Panchachuli, Kalapani
Kalapani
Kalapani or Kala Pani may refer to:* Kala pani , a taboo of the sea in Indian culture...
and Chota Kailash (Adi Kailash) form a part of the Sanctuary. The Dhauli and Ikli rivers originate from the area and Gori Ganga passes through it. The forest blocks: Rugling, Jyotigad, Hiragumarhi, Duk, Sobla, East Ghandhura, West Ghandhura, Maitham, Akla and Daphia are biodiversity rich habitats of the Sanctuary.