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Located 76 kms from Srinagar in the south-east, Overa Wildlife Sanctuary is characterized by stunning mountain landscapes, grass-clad hills and deep valleys. Situated near Pahalgam, the region play hosts to a large number of rare and endangered species of mammals and birds. It harbors 13 species of mammals and over 80 species of birds. Much acclaim has been accorded to the Overa Wildlife Sanctuary, famous for its diversity of wildlife and best known for magnificent species of pheasants.

The Overa Wildlife Sanctuary is rich in flora which includes mainly coniferous forests. The main species found are aesculus indica, pinus griffithii, abies pindrow, morus alba, juglans regia, etc. Major shrub associates are Desmodium tiliaefolium, Indigofera heterantha, Isdon spp., etc, while the main ground layer is characterized by dicotlydonous herbs comprising Artemisia vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale, Anemone spp, Primula spp., etc.

The sanctuary provides refuge to a wide variety of mammals most of which are on the verge of extinction. So efforts are being made in conserving these animals. Some of them are the musk deer, hangul, rhesus macaque, serow, langur, leopard, leopard cat, etc.

What makes the Overa different from the other wildlife sanctuaries of the Kashmir valley is that the area serves as the natural habitat for pheasants like the chukar, monal, koklas and Himalayan snow cock. Among the other avifauna are the red billed chough, jungle crow, bearded vulture, griffon vulture, Himalayan whistling thrush, rufous-backed shrike, Indian mynah, etc.

Wildlife Sanctuaries