National Park of Pakistan And Endangered Panda

1. University of Sindh Jamshoro
Name: Rimsha Pahore
Group: Group B
Subject: Wild Life
Assignment topic: Endangered Species and National Park

2. Endangered Species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near
future, either worldwide or in a particular area. Endangered species may be at risk
due to factors such as pollution, less food supply, atmospheric change, and
hunting.
The international union of conservation of nature (IUCN) red list the global
conservation status of many species, and various other agencies the status of
species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect these
endangered species which for example forbid hunting, restrict land development,
or create protected Area.
Panda Taxonomy
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mamalia
Order Carnivora
Family Ursidae
Genius Aliuropoda
Species melanoleuca
 Morphology of Pandas:-
The Pandas are mammals with its distinctive black and white coat they are adored
by the world and considered a national treasure in china. This bear also has a
special significance for WWF because it has been their logo since founding in
1961.
Giant Panda ( Aliuropoda melanoleuca)

3. Giant panda’s ears, muzzle, eyes, shoulders and legs are black while the rest of the
body is white. Their thick hair protects them from cold and keeps their body warm.
An adult panda can weigh up to 150kg with male 10% larger and 20% heavier than
female. They have good geographical memory, hearing, and sense of smell, but
their sight is poor. However they have cat like pupils so they can still see
adequately to move around at night. Giant pandas paws have five fingers facing
forward and one thumb and enlarged bone at the heel of paw used for gripping
bamboo, climbing trees etc.
 Eating habits of pandas:-
They have two unique physical features that help them to hold, crush and eat
bamboo number one broad flat molar teeth and enlarged wrist bone.
Indeed as members of the bear family giant pandas posses the digestive system of a
carnivore although they have evolved to depend almost entirely on bamboo.
 When and Why Giant Panda become Endangered:-
Giant pandas first became endangered in 1990 due to excessive poaching in the 80s
and deforestation, depleting their bamboo food source. A fickle species bamboo
can grow extensively in the mountainous or barren lands, but then dies in the
winter. This forces giant pandas in those areas to relocate for their food.
A panda’s daily diet consists almost entirely of the
leaves, stems, and shoots of various bamboo species.
The bamboo consumed by the giant pandas in their
current habitat are classified into 40 kinds in 9
genera, although bamboo contains very little
nutritional value so pandas must eat 12-38kg every
day to meet their energy needs. (Almost 12 hours a
day)

4. Humans have cleared much of the bamboo forests that pandas need to survive ,
because pandas eat only bamboo they cannot adopt to live outside of those forests
the way other animals do, unless pandas are provided with bamboo. Pandas also
have difficulty reproducing even in the captivity due to their extreme choosiness
about their mate, their low nutrient milk and the fact that they usually only have
one viable cub at the time. Poaching is also an issue for pandas, since pandas skins
and pelts are valuable on black market.
 WWF actions in Conservation of Giant Pandas:-
1) Increasing the area of panda habitat under legal protection
2) Creating green corridors to link isolated pandas
3) Patrolling against poaching, illegal logging, and encroachment.
4) Building local capacities for nature reserve management
5) Continuing research and monitoring on giant pandas.
6) Wildlife protection law 1988 banned panda poaching made it capital offense.
WWF has been working with the Chinese government’s national conservation
program for the giant panda and its habitat. Thanks to this program, panda reserves
now cover more than 3.8 million acres of forest.
 Current Status of Giant pandas according to IUCN:-
Giant pandas are no longer an endangered species they are now considered
vulnerable of extinction by the IUCN due to the fact that pandas reproduce so
infrequently, it is very difficult for their population to recover from such a low
point. But it does not mean that pandas are safe, the IUCN says that in the next 80
years climate change could destroy more than 35 percentages of bamboo forests,
where pandas live on a bamboo only diet.

5. National Park of Pakistan
It may be define as in area declared by the government for the protection and
preservation of its existing flora and fauna. Pakistan has 29 protected areas known
as national Park the oldest national park among these is Lal suhanra in Bahawalpur
district established in 1972, it is the only national park that established before the
independence of the nation in August 1947. The main purpose of this area was to
protect the wildlife of cholistan desert.
Central karakoram in Gilgit Baltistan is currently the largest national park in the
country, spanning over a total approximate area of 1,390,100. The smallest
national park is the Ayub covering a total approximate area of 931 hectares.
Prohibited acts of National Park
 Hunting, capturing, shooting, trapping and killing of any wild animal is
inhabited.
 Firing of weapons
 Burning, Destroying or removal of plants.
 Clearing of land for cultivation
 Constructive of roads, railways line etc.
 Polluting water flowing through national park.
 Surface mining.

6. Deosai National Park of Pakistan
The plateaus’ environment is characterized by the extreme cold with low
atmospheric pressure coupled with low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels,
aridity, intense and rapid solar ultraviolet radiation. The park is part of the
conservation international Himalayan biodiversity and contains a rich variety of
species and it is well known for its rich flora and fauna. In spring it is covered by
sweeps of wildflower and wide range of butterflies. The park lies within the
birdlife international’s western Himalaya endemic bird area and is important as a
resting place and breeding ground of residential and migratory birds of
international importance.
The Deosai National Park was established in 1993 to protect the survival of the
Himalayan brown bear and its habitat and also home to the Himalayan ibex, red
fox gray wolf, snow leopard, and birds in the park include the golden eagle,
peregrine falcon.
The undulating meadows here have no trees or shrubs and the area is snow covered
for most parts of the year. The most enchanting feature of the Deosai plateau is its
Deosai means the land of Giants it is a high
altitude alpine plain and national park in the
northern Pakistan region of Gilgit Baltistan.
Deosai plains are situated at an average
elevation of 4,114 meters above sea level
and considered as the second highest
plateaus in the world.

7. huge field of alpine flowers, the scale of which is largest in the Karakorum and the
western Himalayas. Spring comes to Deosai late when millions of the wild flowers
begin to bloom all over the lush green grassland, this is the time when Deosai
looks like a fairies land with a landscape full of wild flowers on green rolling hills
and crystal clear water streams with snow covered peaks in the background, and
other varieties of flower which are as a source of food for the wildlife in the area,
they also have medicinal value and used by the locals for many cures.
Birds and Animals of Deosai National Park
The threats brown bears are facing recreational activities, garbage and solid waste,
illegal hunting, human disturbance, habitat loss and competition for forage with
domestic livestock.
The threats that Himalayan ibex face are illegal hunting, human disturbance,
habitat loss and competition for forage with domestic livestock.
Deosai National park was established for the
protection of the endangered Himalayan bear
and its habitat. After banning poachers and the
hunters, Pakistan has managed to push through a
revival of brown bear population and their
number significantly increased from 19 bears in
1993 to 40 in 2005.
Himalayan Ibex
Himalayan ibex also known as Siberian ibex
(Capra ibex sibirica) is a symbol of arid and
rocky mountain of karakoram and Himalayas of
Gilgit Baltistan. The male have heavy and large
horns, while females are small body and small
horns. Their lifespan is 16 to 17 years.
Brown Bear

8. Other animals that Deosai contain is lynx, snow leopard, Golden marmot, grey
wolf, red fox, and many varieties of birds like chukor Partridge, Golden eagle,
peregrine falcon, Indian sparrow hawk snow pigeon and over 124 resident and
migratory birds.
Since Deosai is on the altitude of about 13, 00 feet above sea, there is no supportof
trees or shrubbery on the grassland and Deosai remains a land of denizens which
are scattered colonies of large marmots. It is surrounded by the snow capped peaks
of Himalayas gives a spectacular look of unique combination of absolutely leveled
ground and steepest hills, snow keeps the plateau covered almost eight months in a
year, until spring showers its magic and Deosai is mostly well known for its spring
season when it is covered by a carpet of millions of flowers and wide range of
butterflies and the spot attract the tourists from across the world.
Deosai was declared a protected wildlife territory in 1993 and with it the flagship
Himalayan brown bear too was protected. And now Deosai national park is also on
the tentative list of the UNESCO world heritage site. It is not simply a plateau
offering a scenic view of the mountains; it is an immense stretch of land which has
to be witnessed, to be felt and to be believed.