Dachigam National Park is located 22 kilometers from Srinagar, the capital city of the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The name of the park literally stands for ten villages which could be in memory of the ten villages that were relocated for its formation.The two sectors of the Park - Upper and Lower Dachigam are spread over an area of 141 sq. km. and altitudes vary between 1700 and 4300 meters. Two steep ridges enclose the Park with its great topographical variety - deep ravines, rocky outcrops, steep wooded slopes and rolling alpine pastures. Tumbling down from the Masrar Lake (4300m), up in the high ranges, the Dachigam River winds through Lower Dachigam.
The Park is a natural habitat of the endangered hangul or the Kashmir stag - the only species of Red Deer to be found in India. This deer has a light rump patch without including the tail. Its coat color is brown with a speckling to the hairs. The inner sides of the buttocks are grayish white, followed by a line on the inner sides of the thighs and black on the upper side of the tail. Each antler consists of five tines. The beam is strongly curved inward, while the brow and bez tines are usually close together and above the burr.Winter makes the best time to view the hangul, when they gather together in the shelter of the lower valleys. Related to the red deer of Europe, this breed is characterised by its white rump patch and impressive spread of antlers.
Other inhabitants of this wild hub include the Himalayan black bear, species of wild goat like the Markhor and ibex and varieties of exotic Himalayan birds. Colourful pheasants include the crimson tragopan, the iridescent monal pheasant with its glittering plumage, the blood pheasant and the koklass pheasant. The golden eagle and the bearded vulture or lammergeier can also be seen circling the brilliant blue skies. The leopard, the only predator of this paradise is rarely seen as also the elusive snow leopard, which is found in the higher altitudes. Other animals include the rare Musk Deer and the Himalayan marmot.