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News: The forest department has started a scientific wildlife census in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary to study wildlife population and movement patterns.
About Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary
Location
- Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Central Himalayan region in the Almora district of the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand.
Specifications
- Area: The sanctuary spreads across about 47.59 sq km in the Kumaon region.
- Topography: The sanctuary has rugged ridges and deep gorges, while the altitude ranges from 900 metres to 2,500 metres.
- Zero Point: Zero Point or Jhandi Dhaar is the highest point of the sanctuary and offers panoramic views of Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, Trisul, Panchachuli and Shivling peaks.
- Vegetation: The sanctuary is dominated by dense oak and deodar forests along with rhododendrons that bloom ruby-red during spring.
- Flora: The sanctuary contains about 25 tree species and 24 bush species, which support rich Himalayan biodiversity.
- Fauna: The sanctuary is home to leopards, Himalayan gorals, musk deer, Sumatran serow, red foxes and wild boars.
- Bird Diversity: The sanctuary is an Important Bird Area with more than 200 bird species, including Himalayan Monal, Kalij pheasant, Koklass pheasant and Eurasian jay.
Significance
- Historical Significance:
- Binsar served as the summer capital of the Chand rulers of Kumaon between the 11th and 18th centuries.
- During the British period, Sir Henry Ramsay established administrative centres in the region.
- Religious Significance: Locals believe that Binsar was named after the Bineshwar Mahadev Temple, a 16th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- Ecological Significance: The sanctuary protects the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and provides habitat to several rare and threatened species.
