Ayubia National Park ( ur, ), also known as Ayubia ( ur, ), is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
province,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. It was declared a national park in 1984. Ayubia was named after
Muhammad Ayub Khan
Muhammad Ayub Khan ( Urdu: ; 14 May 1907 – 19 April 1974), was the second President of Pakistan. He was an army general who seized the presidency from Iskander Mirza in a coup in 1958, the first successful coup d'état in the country' ...
(1958–1969), second
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.temperate coniferous forest
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Temperate coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and cool winters, and vary in their kinds of plant life. In some, needle ...
and
temperate broadleaf and mixed forest
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.
These ...
ecoregion
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s, with an average elevation of above sea level.
Ayubia National Park is surrounded by seven major villages and three small towns of Thandiani,
Nathiagali
Nathia Gali or Nathiagali ( ur, ) is a hill station and mountain resort town located in the Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at the centre of the Galyat range, where several hill stations are situated. ...
and Khanspur. The park has been developed as a resort complex from a combination of four mini resorts of
Khaira Gali Khaira Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort towns of the Galyat area of Pakistan, it has an altitude of 2347m. Khaira Gali is located in Palak which is a Union Council of Abbottabad District in Abbottabad province of Pakistan. This hill sta ...
,
Changla Gali
Changla Gali is one of the tourist mountain resort towns of the Galyat area of Pakistan. It has an elevation of 2804m.Khanspur and Ghora Dhaka in Galyat. Currently, it is managed by the Wildlife and Parks Department of
Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ( ur, ; ps, د خیبر پښتونخوا حکومت), is the provincial government of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the 1973 Const ...
.
History
Ayubia National Park was established in 1984 in an east corner of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...
province of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. In 1998 it was expanded form its original size of or to . Since then it has been managed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department. The purpose of establishing it was to conserve the
temperate forests
A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is the second largest biome on our planet, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers abou ...
. Originally, the park stood at an area of , but in 1998 it was expanded to cover an area of .
The total population of Ayubia and surrounding villages as per a 1996 census is 18,097 people living in 2,311 households.
Climate
The climate of the park is cool in the summers, but harsh in the winters. While it remains only placidly hot in May and June, the cold sets in when the monsoons come to lash in late July and early August. In the winters cold increases in severity gradually until the west winds bring rains, which eventually turn into snow. The park remains snow-capped through the later part of winters.
*Rainfall: 1,644 mm
*Temperature: 3 °C - 11 °C
Wildlife
The park holds 104 species of plants. The main floral species are ''
Cedrus deodara
''Cedrus deodara'', the deodar cedar, Himalayan cedar, or deodar, is a species of cedar native to the Himalayas.
Description
It is a large evergreen coniferous tree reaching tall, exceptionally with a trunk up to in diameter. It has a conic c ...
'',
blue pine
''Pinus wallichiana'' is a coniferous evergreen tree native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern Pakistan and north west India to Yunnan in southwest China. It grows in mountain val ...
silver fir
Silver fir is a common name for several trees and may refer to:
*''Abies alba
''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Car ...
,
horse chestnut
The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with species called buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with six species n ...
and
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
. Around 21 plants belonging to 19 families are known for their medicinal properties. Many of these are used in treatment of
jaundice
Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme meta ...
,
stomach ulcers
Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a break in the inner lining of the stomach, the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while one in the first part of the intestines ...
,
snake bites
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occu ...
, internal infections,
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
,
psoriasis
Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small, localized patches to complete ...
and more. Some plants are said to have
anti-carcinogenic An anticarcinogen (also known as a carcinopreventive agent) is a substance that counteracts the effects of a carcinogen or inhibits the development of cancer. Anticarcinogens are different from anticarcinoma agents (also known as anticancer or ant ...
effect as well. Also, some are used as biological
insecticides
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...
and
pesticides
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampric ...
, mostly due to their insect-repellent nature. The
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
has launched an ethno-botanical initiative here "to demonstrate the sustainable use of plant resources as a means for protecting
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
.
There are 23 mammals, 203 birds and 13 herpto-fauna in the park.
Mammals found in the park include:
*
Indian leopard
The Indian leopard (''Panthera pardus fusca'') is a leopard subspecies widely distributed on the Indian subcontinent. The species ''Panthera pardus'' is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because populations have declined following habi ...
,''P.p.millardi''
*
Leopard cat
The leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by hab ...
,''F.b.himalayana''
*
Golden jackal
The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy y ...
,''C.a.indicus''
*
Red fox
The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
,''V.v.griffithi''
*
Yellow-throated marten
The yellow-throated marten (''Martes flavigula'') is a marten species native to Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, evidently relatively stable population, occurrence in a number of protected are ...
,''M.f.flaviugula''
*
Masked palm civet
The masked palm civet (''Paguma larvata''), also called the gem-faced civet, is a palm civet species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 as it occurs in many p ...
,''P.l.himalayana''
*
Asian palm civet
The Asian palm civet (''Paradoxurus hermaphroditus''), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern as it accommodates to a broad range ...
,''P.h.isabellinus''
*
Central European boar
The Central European boar (''Sus scrofa scrofa'') is a subspecies of wild boar, currently distributed across almost all of mainland Europe, with the exception of some northern areas in both Scandinavia and European Russia and the southernmost par ...
Serotine bat
The serotine bat (''Eptesicus serotinus''), also known as the common serotine bat, big brown bat, or silky bat, is a fairly large Eurasian bat with quite large ears. It has a wingspan of around and often hunts in woodland. It sometimes roosts ...
,''E.serotinus''
*
Rhesus macaque
The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally b ...
,''M.m.villosa''
*
Indian porcupine
The Indian crested porcupine (''Hystrix indica'') is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae.
De ...
Ward's field mouse
Ward's field mouse (''Apodemus pallipes'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Iran, Nepal, and Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakist ...
Murree vole
The Murree vole (''Hyperacrius wynnei'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to the Himalayas in Pakistan and India. It was named by William Thomas Blanford after its collector, geologist Arthur Beavor Wynne.
Distribu ...
,''H.wyneii''
*
Kashmir flying squirrel
The Kashmir flying squirrel (''Eoglaucomys fimbriatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Eoglaucomys''. It is found in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is subtropical or trop ...
,''E.fimbriatus''
*
Red giant flying squirrel
The red giant flying squirrel or common giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista petaurista'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae (squirrels). It is found in a wide variety of forest–types, plantations and more open habitats with scatter ...
,''P.p.albiventer''
Some of the Himalayan specialty birds of Ayubia include:
*
Kalij pheasant
The kalij pheasant (''Lophura leucomelanos'') is a pheasant found in forests and thickets, especially in the Himalayan foothills, from Pakistan to western Thailand. Males are rather variable depending on the subspecies involved, but all have at ...
,''L.l.hamiltonii''
*
Koklass pheasant
The koklass pheasant (''Pucrasia macrolopha'') is a species of gamebird, being closely related to progenitive grouse that lived during the Miocene. They are distantly related to pheasants and are most closely related to grouse and turkeys. Ko ...
Spotted dove
The spotted dove (''Spilopelia chinensis'') is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many parts ...
,''S.chinensis''
*
Great barbet
The great barbet (''Psilopogon virens'') is an Asian barbet native to the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia, where it inhabits foremost forests up to altitude. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004 because o ...
,''M.virens''
*
Himalayan cuckoo
The Himalayan cuckoo (''Cuculus saturatus'') is a species of cuckoo in the genus ''Cuculus''. It breeds from the Himalayas eastward to southern China and Taiwan. It migrates to southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands for the winter.
It was f ...
Besra
The besra (''Accipiter virgatus''), also called the besra sparrowhawk, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
The besra is a widespread resident breeder in dense forests throughout southern Asia, ranging from the Indian subcontinent east ...
,''A.virgatus''
*
Golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...
,''A.c.daphanea''
*
Himalayan black-lored tit
The Himalayan black-lored tit (''Machlolophus xanthogenys''), also known as simply black-lored tit, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The yellow-cheeked tit is probably its closest relative, and it may also be related to the yellow ...
,''M.xanthogenys''
*
White-cheeked tit
The white-cheeked bushtit (''Aegithalos leucogenys''), also known as the white-cheeked tit, is a species of bird in the family Aegithalidae. It is found in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Repu ...
,''A.leucogenys''
*
Kashmir nuthatch
The Kashmir nuthatch (''Sitta cashmirensis'') is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is found in the northernmost regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the mid-altitudes of the Himalayas. The species ranges across Afghanista ...
,''Sitta cashmirensis''
Management
The park has been managed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department under the 1975 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Act. The headquarters of the park is at
Dunga Gali
Dunga Gali is one of the towns of the Galyat area of Ayubia National Park, at an altitude of in northern Pakistan. Dunga Gali is located in Nathia Gali Union Council (subdivision) of Abbottabad District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. It ...
, which is situated at a distance of 50 km from
Abbottabad
Abbottabad (; Urdu, Punjabi language(HINDKO dialect) آباد, translit=aibṭabād, ) is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourth ...
and 25 km from Murree.
Tourism
Standing at some 26 kilometers from the tourist hotbed of Murree Hill Station, over 100,000 tourists flock to Ayubia National Park and the places around every year. It is well known for its picnic spots.
This National Park also features the "Pipeline Walking Track" that runs from Ayubia to Nathiagali and is 4 kilometers in length.
Since there are 7 villages and 4 major towns around it, and since this area attracts a very large number of tourists annually, there is a large number of hotels and restaurants around the park. In addition to riding trails, hiking places, picnic spots and motels, there is a
chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...
in Ayubia that takes the tourists to a nearby summit called
Mukeshpuri
Mukshpuri, Mushkpuri, or Mukeshpuri is a mountain in the Nathia Gali Hills, in the Circle Bakote Region of Abbottabad District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan. It is north of Islamabad, just above Dunga Gali in the Na ...
for a view of the forested hills. This
chairlift
An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...
was the first recreation facility of its kind in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and is still a major attraction for domestic tourists. The famous
PTDC
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation or PTDC ( ur, ) is an organization of the Government of Pakistan. PTDC is governed by the Board of Directors and provides transportation to various areas and owns and runs several motels across the coun ...
motel is located here.
Gallery
File:Ayubia, Pakistan.jpg, Glaciers, Mountains, Valleys & Hills.
File:Ayubia National Park Track 1.JPG, Track between Donga Gali and Ayubia known as Ayubia National Park track.
File:Ayubia National Park Track 2.JPG, A view of mountains from track between Donga Gali and Ayubia known as Ayubia National Park track.
File:Ayubia National Park Track 3.JPG, Cloud can be seen from track between Donga Gali and Ayubia known as Ayubia National Park track.
File:Ayubia National Park Track 4.JPG, Ayubia National Park track.
File:Ayubia_national_park_board.jpg, A board at the entrance of Pipeline Track showing its co-ordinates.
File:Kashmir_rock_agama_01.jpg,
Kashmir Rock Agama
''Laudakia tuberculata'' (Kashmir rock agama or tuberculated agama) is a species of agamid lizard found in northern Pakistan, northern India (W Himalaya, Kashmir, Punjab), Nepal, eastern Afghanistan (needs confirmation), and western China (Ti ...
can be found here.
See also
*
List of national parks of Pakistan
Pakistan has 36 national parks ( ur, ). As of 2012, 25 of these are under supervision of respective provincial governments and remaining are in private care. Only some of these are under the conservation scope of International Union for Conserva ...