Himalayan Wildlife Foundation
[3][4] The HWF is also involved in other major conservation efforts such as Rohtas Fort Conservation Programme at Rohtas Fort, and community-based management interventions in Gumot National Park, Musk Deer National Park and Neelum Valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.Realizing the importance of conserving these precious few bears as well as other mammals, various species of migratory birds and a great variety of flora, the Himalayan Wildlife Project, led by Dr Anis Ur Rehman and Mr Vaqar Zakaria, made efforts to get the unique high altitude plateau declared a national park.The Himalayan Wildlife Foundation, following the declaration of Deosai as a National Park, with support of the Wildlife Department, managed the national park through contributions of various donors, including multiple donations by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme,[8][6] for approximately ten years.During the time that HWF managed the National Park, both Vaqar Zakaria and Dr Anis Ur Rehman, as well as the park staff received blatant threats, when confronting illegal poachers[3] Research efforts on the population and status of the Himalayan Brown Bear continued through to 2001 with support of the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation and their 20 strong wildlife guards.More recently, given issues with communities of Gujjar-bakarwal (nomadic herders) who travel very long distances to utilize the summer pastures of Deosai National Park from the Pir Panjal and who are considered to have usufruct rights to grazing lands within the national park from before it was formed,[10] the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation has carried out further study and research into community-led conservation supported by the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme.