Askot, also written as Askote, is a town located on the lap of Kumaon Himalayan hills in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India. It is located nearly 50 kilometers from district Pithoragarh. This town is also famous for the Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary, which is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species of Musk deer.
Askot, also written as Askote, is a town located on the lap of Kumaon Himalayan hills in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India. It is located nearly 50 kilometers from district Pithoragarh. This town is also famous for the Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary, which is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species of Musk deer.
Established in 1986, the Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary was created in order to protect the endangered Musk Deer and its habitat. Perched at an elevation of 1600 meters, Askot Sanctuary has a sprawling area of 600 sq km which is blessed with innumerable species of flora and fauna.
The sanctuary is located at Askot, which is a small hamlet situated some 54 kms from the Pithoragarh town in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.
The sanctuary attracts many nature lovers and wild life photographers who are attracted by its resident population of monkeys, spectacled cobras, turtles, antlers, darters, bison, vipers and many others. The Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary is also home to leopards, jungle cats, brown bears, barking dears and serows along with many species of birds that are found at high altitudes.
Peaks like Najrikot, Panchuli, Chiplakot and Naukana are located within the park. The Lipu Lekh Pass, Lumpiya Lekh Pass and theMankshang Lekh Pass are also located in the sanctuary.
The sanctuary marks the origin points of two rivers – Dhauli River and Ilki River. The Gori Ganga River passes through the Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary. The weather in the sanctuary is classified as sub-arctic with severe winter, heavy rainfall and a maximum temperature of 30 degree Celsius.
