Kirthar National Park
| Kirthar National Park | |
|---|---|
 View of the Kirthar Park | |
  Park location in Pakistan | |
| Location | Jamshoro District, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 25°42′N 67°35′E / 25.700°N 67.583°E |
| Area | 3,087 km2 (1,192 sq mi) |
| Established | 1974 |
| Governing body | Wildlife and Parks Department of Government of Pakistan |
The Kirthar National Park (Urdu: کِیرتھر نیشنل پارک ), Sindhi (کيرٿرنيشنل پارڪ)[1][2] is situated in the Kirthar Mountains in Jamshoro District in Sindh, Pakistan. The park was established in 1974, and encompasses an area of over 3,087 square kilometres (1,192 sq mi) - making it the third largest national park in Pakistan by size after the Central Karakoram National Park and Hingol National Park. The park is accessible by four wheel drive vehicles while two rest houses belonging to the Sindh Wildlife Department are available for tourist accommodation.[3]
The park's fauna comprises Indian leopards, striped hyenas, Indian wolves, ratels, urials, chinkara gazelles and rare Sind wild goats. Blackbuck antelopes are kept in enclosures for a reintroduction project at Kirthar National Park. Most large predators have been killed with the last leopard shot in 1977.[4]
Species
Mammals
Total species: 34. Mammals in the park include:
| Name of animal | Scientific name | Status | Pictures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian leopard | Panthera pardus fusca | Threatened | 
|
| Striped hyena | Hyaena hyaena | Threatened | 
|
| Indian wolf | Canis lupus pallipes | Threatened | 
|
| Bengal fox | Vulpes bengalensis | Common | _at_Desert_NP_(cropped).jpg)
|
| Sindh ibex | Capra aegagrus blythi | Common | 
|
| Blanford urial | Ovis orientalis blanfordi | Vulnerable | |
| Indian ratel | M. c. indica | Rare | 
|
| Indian pangolin | Manis crassicaudata | Rare | 
|
| Caracal | Caracal caracal | Rare | ,_Paris,_d%C3%A9cembre_2013.jpg)
|
| Jungle cat | Felis chaus chaus | Common | 
|
| Persian jackal | C. a. aureus | Common | _Canis_aureus_aureus_mod.jpg)
|
| Chinkara | Gazella bennettii | Common | 
|
| Blackbuck | Antilope cervicapra | Rare (Reintroduced) | 
|
| Indian hedgehog | Paraechinus micropus | Common | |
| Indian crested porcupine | Hystrix indica | Common | _at_IG_Zoological_park,_Visakhapatnam_03.JPG)
|
| Indian grey mongoose | Herpestes edwardsi | Common | 
|
| Cairo spiny mouse | Acomys cahirinus | Unconfirmed | 
|
Birds
There are a total of 58 species of birds in Kirthar National Park. Species found the park are Bearded vulture (winter migratory), Bonelli's eagle, Imperial eagle, Tawny eagle, Golden eagle, Griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, Cinereous vulture, Laggar falcon, Red-necked falcon, Common kestrel, Crowned sandgrouse, Houbara bustard, Grey partridge, See-see partridge, Stone-curlew, Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Lichtenstein's sandgrouse, Painted sandgrouse, Indian eagle-owl, Sind woodpecker, Hume's wheatear, Long-billed pipit, Crested bunting, Desert lark, Hoopoe and Grey-backed shrike.
Reptiles
Reptiles found the park includes Indian python, Indian cobra, Russell's viper, Indian saw-scaled viper, Sind krait, black copper rat snake, Indian star tortoise, Desert monitor, Yellow monitor, Mugger crocodile (possibly extinct),
Gallery
-
Sindh wild goats at Kirthar National Park -
Chinkara gazelle in the Park -
-
Sindh wild goats on a hill -
-
-
-
-
-
Ranikot -
Taung
See also
- List of national parks in Pakistan
- List of parks and gardens in Pakistan
- List of parks and gardens in Lahore
- List of parks and gardens in Karachi
References
- ^ "New Page 1". www.tourism.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ^ "Recent rains transform Kirthar Park into haven for wild animals - Daily Times". 9 August 2016.
- ^ Khirthar national park Archived 4 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Publisher: Sindh Wildlife Department, Retrieved on 5 August 2012
- ^ Michael J. B. Green: IUCN directory of South Asian protected areas. Iucn-World Conservation Union (December 1990). ISBN 2-8317-0030-2
External links
25°42′N 67°35′E / 25.700°N 67.583°E
