The wildlife of Pakistan comprises a diverse flora and fauna. Pakistan contains some of the world’s highest cold areas and lowest hot areas ,Presently, 174 mammals, 668 birds, 177 reptiles, 22 amphibians, 788 marine fish and 198 freshwater
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the 7-day programme there is a high chance you’ll see a snow leopard and it is also possible to extend it to ten days if you want to be sure. There are times where we can spot them within the first few days, although there is no guarantee and you have to be mentally prepared that you might not see a snow leopard at all. You will be with the best experts on snow leopards in the country and this is your best bet to see snow leopards in Pakistan.
Our tour starts in Karimabad, in Gilgit-Baltistan which is next to the Karakoram Highway. You will be met by our team who will pick you up and with whom you’ll stay the next weeks. Every day we’ll be going into Khunjerab National Park and we’ll be the whole day on the lookout passing by the trails and the place where the snow leopards leave markings. Snow leopards are predictable and often use the same places to walk and also to leave their marks. Our team has decades of experience and knows where to look for them.
The best time to actually see snow leopards is between January and March where they also get cubs. As the area is very cold during this time, you’ll have to wear very thick jackets and thermic underwear as well as gloves, a hat, scarves etc. Because of the snow it is also better to see the tracks. As the Karakoram Highway is closed during winter, there won’t be any traffic, which will also help us. For our tour we use a good vehicle which can drive in the snow and on icy roads. Often we’ll stop and scout for a while and then will continue our road. We now and then will have to leave the car for better viewing. During our daily excursion we’ll also be on the lookout for wolves, ibex, fox, marmots, golden eagles and many other animals which you’ll be seeing during this week.
The Deosai plains are located over 4.000 meter above sea level. It’s over 843 km2 and hosts many different animals such as Himalayan Ibex, Eurasian lynx, snow leopard, golden marmot, grey wolf, red fox, mountain weasel, cape hare, urial, markhor, falcon, snow cock, griffon vulture, golden eagle, pika, Himalayan musk deer, sparrowhawk, lammagier vulture, kestrel and others.
Our tour starts from Skardu and we will be in the park for a full five days before going back to Skardu to optimize our chances to spot and photograph the Himalayan brown bear while being on the lookout for other mammals and birds. The best time to see them is between the end of May until the end of October. If we go in June or September-October the park will also be quieter than during July – August when there are local tourists. Between the end of October and April/May the bears are in hibernation in caves they built. Our tours are run by specialists who have been tracking animals for over four decades in Gilgit-Baltistan and Wakhan Corridor National Park in Afghanistan. They know the area like the back of their hand and know the behavior of the animals and are your best bet to increase your chances to spot them.
The Himalayan bear has red-brow-sandy colored fur and is a subspecies of the brown bear and is quite different from other species. It is found in the Himalayas of northern Pakistan and Kashmir. The total number of brown bears is unknown and there are about 35 – 40 bears in Deosai National Park, which has been created to protect the bears after they were almost wiped out due to trophy hunting. There are around 7 populations spread over the region.
The Himalayan brown bear is an omnivore, he eats grasses, roots and various plants, but also insects and small animals. Sometimes they even attack sheep or goats.
Day 1: Pick-up from Karimabad in the morning and drive to Sost. Followed by afternoon snow leopard spotting in Khunjerab National Park
Day 2 – 7: Six full days of snow leopard tracking from the morning until the evening. You’ll be staying in a guesthouse in Sost.
Day 8: Transfer back to Karimabad
There are flights from Islamabad to Karimabad, but you can also drive for one and a half days as they are often canceled. Please, let us know if you’d like us to arrange transport in between.
Includes:
– Midrange accommodation in Sost with local simple meals.
– Daily park fees
– Two licensed professional snow leopard trackers who speak English who will be with you every day
– Transport in a 4×4 during your stay
– A contribution to the educational programmes in the region to raise awareness about snow leopards and work around prevention.
– Transport to and from Karimabad
Day 1: Arrival in Skardu and overnight in local hotel, meeting up with the team.
Day 2: Drive to Deosai National Park (two hours) and start your day with exploring the park and searching for wildlife.
Day 3 – 6: Exploring and hiking in Deosai National Park.
Day 7: Back to Skardu.
We can also arrange to add an additional tour to see Kashmir flying squirrel and western flying squirrel, the latter being very rare, only home to Pakistan and very hard to see. If you are interested in this, please contact us.
There are flights from Islamabad to Skardu, although they are sometimes canceled. In this case it takes one and a half day to drive. So please, keep this in mind and add four buffer days and also an extra day for PCR-testing in case you need this. Let us know if you would like to arrange overland transport through us.
Includes:
– Professional English speaking guide with years of experience
– Daily park entrance fees and camping permits
– Accommodation in Skardu on the first and last night
– All meals during camping
– Transport in a comfortable 4×4
