Lal Suhanra National Park
| Lal Suhanra National Park لال سہانرا نیشنل پارک | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Lal Suhanra National Park Location within Pakistan | |
| Location | Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nearest city | Bahawalpur, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 29°19′N 71°55′E / 29.317°N 71.917°E |
| Area | 657.91 km2 (254.02 sq mi) |
| Established | 1972 |
Lal Suhanra National Park is a national park in Bahawalpur district of Punjab province in Pakistan. It is one of Pakistan's largest nationals parks, and is a UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve.[1] Its landscape includes desert, forest and wetland ecosystems.[2]
There are archaeological remains of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation which once flourished along the Ghaggar-Hakra River (paleo Saraswati River).
Geography
[edit]Lal Suhanra National Park is situated some 35 kilometres east of Bahawalpur and presents a synthesis of forest and desert life.[2] It occupies land on both sides of Desert Branch canal, and is spread over 127,480 acres (51,590 hectares) of which 20,974 acres (8,488 hectares) are green land (irrigated plantations), 101,726 acres (41,167 hectares) are dry land (desert), and 4,780 acres (1,930 hectares) are wet land (ponds and lakes). The park's terrain is generally flat, interspersed with sand dunes measuring between 1 and 6 meters in height and occupying as many as thousands of acres apiece.[2]
The biosphere reserve is crossed by the dried-up bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and comprises Patisar Lake and irrigated land. Officials said that indigenous trees like Indian rosewood and Acacia karroo will be planted over 1,212 acres of barren land in the wildlife reserve.[3]
Wildlife
[edit]
Lal Suhanra National Park hosts native wildlife like the Indian hog deer, chinkara, blackbuck, nilgai, Indian wolf, wild boar, white-footed fox, Asiatic wildcat and Indian hare, monitor lizard, Russell's viper, Indian cobra, saw-scaled viper, wolf snake, John's sand boa, and spiny-tailed lizard; bird species include bulbul, common quail, pied cuckoo, parakeet, Sind woodpecker, great Indian bustard, black kite, Eurasian nightjar, steppe eagle, shikra, Eurasian griffon vulture and peregrine falcon.[4] The chital has been introduced.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Lal Suhanra". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Lal Suhanra National Park". Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Department, Punjab. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ↑ Abdul Manan (18 February 2016). "PM Nawaz returns to old haunt to enjoy desert skies, music and milk". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ↑ Saeed, K.; Brohi, M. A. (2018). "Baseline data of vertebrate fauna of Lal Sohanra National Park, Punjab, Pakistan". Zoological Survey of Pakistan. 24: 11–26.
