Panjal Mastan (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Bagh District Bagh District ( ur, ) is one of the ten districts of Pakistan's territory of Azad Kashmir. Previously part of Poonch District, it was established as a separate district in 1988. The Bagh District is bounded on the north by the Muzaffarabad Di ...

of Azad-Kashmir. Panjal Mastan National Park is at an average elevation of 2800 metres (9186 feet) above sea level, making the Panjal Mastan Plains one of the highest plateaus in the Bagh. The park protects an area of 3,00 square kilometres. It is well known for its rich flora and fauna of the

Pir Panjal The Pir Panjal Range (Kashmiri: ) is a group of mountains in the Lesser Himalayan region, running from east-southeast (ESE) to west-northwest (WNW) across the Indian territories of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and then Pakistan's ...

ecoregion. In spring it is covered by sweeps wildflowers.

Climate and ecology

Panjal Mastan features a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) under the Köppen climate classification. It is in the outer

, retaining high altitude. This type of area has cold, snowy winters, relatively cool summer with drastically escalated rain, in relation with lower altitudes, and frequent fog. Precipitation is received year round, with two maxima, first one during winter and second one at summer, July–August. Total mean precipitation annually is 1,789 mm (70.4 in). A variety of rare animal species can be found in Panjal Mastan, including the leopard, which inhabits the neighbouring Galiyat region. More common animals include the

rhesus monkey 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 ...

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

, foxes and various species of birds, including the

cheer pheasant The cheer pheasant (''Catreus wallichii''), also known as Wallich's pheasant or chir pheasant, is a vulnerable species of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the only member in the genus ''Catreus''. The scientific name commemorates Danish b ...

and

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 ...

. The area gives its name to the Panjal vole, a rodent species endemic to Pakistan.

References

National parks of Pakistan Bagh District Tourist attractions in Azad Kashmir {{Pakistan-stub