DEOSAI - The Last Sanctuary

Deosai –- The Last Sanctuary', Like ( Heaven on Earth ) a film on the endangered Himalayan Brown Bears, living in the Deosai Plateau premiered on April 24, at
the Pakistan Council of the Arts in Islamabad.
The Give Back Project works to improve the impact of nature and wildlife conservation by engaging with and educating young people, local
communities and the wider public through the medium of film.

The Deosai National Park is located in the Skardu, Northern Areas of Pakistan that is known as the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA). The park is located on the Deosai Plains, that are among the highest plateaus in the world with an average height of 4,114 metres above the sea level, covering an area of about 3,000 square kilometers. For just over half the year - between November and May - Deosai is snow-bound. In the summer months when the snow clears up, Deosai is accessible from Skardu in the north and the Astore Valley in the west. Deosai is well known for its spring season when it is covered by a carpet of millions of flowers and a wide variety of butterflies.

Deosai Plains make up one of the last frontiers of natural habitat for the Himalayan Brown Bear, a creature that once roamed the mountains freely. The Deosai National Park was established in 1993 to secure the survival of the bear and its habitat. Having long been a prize kill for poachers and hunters, the bear, Pakistan's largest omnivore, now has a hope for survival in Deosai where its number has increased from just 19 in 1993 to 40 in 2005.

The Deosai Plains are also home to the Himalayan Ibex, Red Fox, Golden Marmot, Wolf, the Ladakh Urial, the Snow Leopard, and over 124 resident and migratory birds. Birds in the park include the Golden Eagle, Lammergeier, Griffon Vulture, Laggar Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Indian Sparrowhawk and Snowcock.