Srinagar, Nov 11: As autumn has set in, people including tourists could be seen enjoying the mesmerizing autumn view of Dachigam National Park, home to several wild animals.
Tourists visit the park throughout the year. However, as autumn has started the park gives a unique look of the fallen leaves of wild trees attracting more and more people.
Arun, a tourist from Chandigarh said he along with his friends visited the park first time on Friday and he has surprised his family with pictures he took there and shared with them.
“Many people were taking the pictures. The park looks like paradise. I also saw some wild animals and this is so amazing. People should come here,” he said.
From vloggers to filmmakers, this autumn, the park is witnessing an influx of visitors to experience the enchanting transformation that the changing season brings. Many filmmakers have made videos of the autumn view of the park and these are being shared widely.
DFO Wildlife, Central Division (Srinagar), Altaf Hussain said that they have made entry to the Dachigam National Park online and 500 visitors visit there each day.
Altaf said this year so far, some 25,000 to 30,000 visitors have visited the park. He also said each day some five to seven schools visit there.
“The very important thing is that since this is not a routine picnic spot but people come here to understand the environment and they come here to learn about the wildlife. It is also the best places to learn about the flora and fauna,” he said.
The DFO said that it is one of the National parks that had been declared polythene free and there is no use of single-use plastic making it the best.
For the universities, colleges and schools, this park has become a place of research and learning. Students are shown the wild animals and natural habitat of animals.
“We also make it sure that every visitor leaves with a learning experience that is main thing we celebrate. Dachigam is finest in terms of natural and classical habitat,” he said.
Altaf said they project Dachigam not as tourism site but an eco-friendly tourism spot. Besides being a trekking spot, the park is also known for bird watching activity and park gets a lot of orders for permissions.
“This place is also preferred for photographers and animal enthusiasts. These are the host of activities that are done at the Dachigam Park,” he said.
The DFO Wildlife also said they ensure that visitors remain limited to save the serenity of the park.
“During the season between winter and autumn, people come here for two purposes one to see the green and red/carpet view of leaves and plants. Secondly, wild animals are in low-lying areas in autumn and there are more chances of sighting them,” he added.
He said every day except Tuesday they have some 500 slots including for students. The DFO said people can book their visit on Jammu and Kashmir Wild Life Department. “We are getting more requests. But we want to maintain the carrying capacity,” he said.
“We see and project it as a place of learning. Revenue generation is not a criterion for us. It is a place for wildlife enthusiasts. We allow tourists in a regulated manner so that the wild ecosystem is not disturbed,” he said.
Altaf said people mostly book their slots online on the website adding that they have also kept the offline permission available for the visitors.
