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Learn more- Located at an average elevation of 4,000 metres, the Deosai plateau in Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the highest plateaus in the world. Legend has it that several centuries ago a huge giant lived on this vast plateau; hence its name Deosai or 'Dev Vasai', (meaning 'land of the giant'). No longer the abode of a giant, the Deosai plateau is now best known for supporting the largest brown bear population in Pakistan.
Despite the high altitude and extreme climate, there are many settlements on the north-eastern border of the Deosai National Park. Grazing of livestock is the traditional practice of these communities. The area is also visited by nomadic herdsmen, the Gujjar-Bakarwals, who bring their cattle to Deosai for grazing in summer.
While the local communities remain restricted to certain areas, the Gujjars indiscriminately graze their livestock in almost all the areas of Deosai. Grazing not only degrades the vegetation cover leading to habitat loss and fragmentation, it also increases competition for natural resources for the local wildlife species of the Park. The Gujjars also remove bushes and plants that provide cover to the wildlife and protect the soil from degradation. These actions have a detrimental effect on the wildlife species of Deosai, particularly the brown bear.
Once found in large numbers, the Himalayan brown bear is now a critically endangered species. In the late 1980s, a small group of researchers observed brown bears in the Deosai region. In 1993, an NGO, the Himalayan Wildlife Project established a research camp; it was the first time that the bears of Deosai became the subject of scientific inquiry and census. Investigations revealed that Deosai was home to just 19 bears, a much smaller number than claimed by Wildlife Department.
From 1993 to 2004, the Himalayan Wildlife Project provided support to the Forest Department in research, these efforts bore fruit and the bear population increased from about 20 in 1993 to about 58 at the end of 2004. The fish population in the rivers also increased significantly in this period.
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