Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park
National park in Balochistan, Pakistan
Hazarganji Chiltan National Park is a national park in the Mastung District of western Balochistan Province of Pakistan . It lies between Chiltan on its west and Hazarganji on the east. The park was established in 1980 to provide the habitat to rare Chiltan ibexes found in the area.[ 1]
It was established in 1980 and covers 325,000 acre of land located close to the Koh-i-Chiltan mountain in Quetta 's outskirt.[ 2]
The park is located in the Sulaiman Mountains , with desert and forest habitats , about 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of the city of Quetta.
Etymology
The name comes from the travelling route between the mountains called "Hazarganji", which means (of a thousand treasures ) in native language as it was a historical passage for the Greco-Bactrian , the Mongols , the Scythians and migrating hordes of Baloch tribes.[ 3]
Biodiversity
The biodiversity of this park comprises 30 species of mammals (9 species of large mammals and 21 species of small mammals), 120 species of avifauna (36 resident and 84 migratory ) and 30 species of reptiles .[ 1]
Flora
The trees in the forests include Pashtun Juniper (Juniperus macropoda ) , pistachio , almond , and ash trees.
Fauna
The fauna comprises about 300-400 rare Sulaiman Markhor and around 800 Chiltan ibex survive within the park boundaries.[ 2]
Few urials still survives in the western slopes between 1,500m to 2,100m.
Other fauna includes Indian wolf , striped hyena , Baluchistan leopard , caracal , common jackal and Indian crested porcupine .
Birds includes the very rare Houbara bustard , griffon vulture , Egyptian vulture , crested honey buzzard (winters only), laggar falcon , peregrine falcon , common kestrel , Eurasian sparrowhawk (winters only), Indian scops owl , Indian cuckoo , European bee-eater (breeding only), chukar partridge , European nightjar (breeding/summer only), long-billed pipit , Eastern Orphean warbler , variable wheatear , blue rock thrush , whinchat , white-browed bush chat and Lichtenstein's desert finch and reptiles are also found here likes of monitor lizards , Russell's viper , saw-scaled vipers and spiny-tailed lizards .[ 3]
Species
Mammals
Total 30 species of mammals include:[ 3]
Name of animal
Scientific name
Distribution
Afghan hedgehog
Hemiechinus auritus megalotis
Chiltan , Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Brandt's hedgehog
Paraechinus hypomelas
Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Balochistan short-tailed shrew
Crocidura gmelini
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Zarudny's rock shrew
Crocidura zarudnyi
Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Greater horseshoe bat
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
Hazarganji
Indian wolf
Canis lupus pallipes
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Asiatic jackal
Canis aureus
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Red fox
Vulpes vulpes
Bibi Nala, Chiltan, Duzchur, Hazarganji, Hinjeeri Nala, Ziarat Nala
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Jungle cat
Felis chaus
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Hazarganji Reserve forest, Kharkhasa
Beech marten
Martes foina
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Hazarganji Reserve forest, Kharkhasa
Marbled polecat
Vormela peregusna
Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Striped hyena
Hyaena hyaena
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Chiltan ibex
Capra aegagrus chialtanensis
All over the park
Cape hare
Lepus capensis
Bibi Nala, Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala
Afghan pika
Ochotona rufescens
Hazarganji Reserve forest
Grey dwarf hamster
Cricetulus migratorius
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Baluchi mouse-like hamster
Calomyscus baluchi
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Small five-toed jerboa
Allactaga elater
Chiltan Hills, Hazarganji
Forest dormouse
Dryomys nitedula
Chiltan Reserve forest, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
Indian crested porcupine
Hystrix indica
Chiltan, Hazarganji (1,800–2,500m)
Sundevall's jird
Meriones crassus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Persian jird
Meriones persicus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Libyan jird
Meriones libycus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Southern mole vole
Ellobius fuscocapillus
Chiltan, Hazargani (1,900–2,400m)
Brown spiny mouse
Mus saxicola
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Black rat
Rattus rattus
Museum and rest-house
Sand-colored soft-furred rat
Millardia gleadowi
Hazarganji
House mouse
Mus musculus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
Indian bandicoot rat
Nesokia indica
Bibi Nala, Hazarganji, Hinjeeri Nala, Ziarat Nala
Avifauna
Name of animal
Scientific name
Distribution
Type
Shikra
Accipiter badius
Near rest-house
WV/SBV
Eurasian sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
SBV
Black kite
Milvus migrans
Chiltan, Hazarganji
SBV
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Samthar
R/WV
Tawny eagle
Aquila rapax
Chiltan, Hazarganji
R
Bonelli's eagle
Hieraaetus fasciatus
Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
R
Short-toed snake eagle
Circaetus gallicus
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
R
Bearded vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
WV/R
Griffon vulture
Gyps fulvus
Chiltan
R
Egyptian vulture
Neophron percnopterus
Chiltan
SBV
Cinereous vulture
Aegypius monachus
Chiltan
SBV/WV
Long-legged buzzard
Buteo rufinus
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
WV
Hen harrier
Circus cyaneus
Chiltan Forest
R/WV
Common kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
R/WV
Eurasian hobby
Falco subbuteo
Chiltan, Kharkhasa
WV
Saker falcon
Falco cherrug
Bibi Nala, Kharkhasa
WV
Peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
SBV/WV
Merlin
Falco columbarius
Chiltan, Hazarganji
SBV/WV
See-see partridge
Ammoperdix griseogularis
Bibi Nala
R
Chukar partridge
Alectoris chukar
Kangri Nala
R
Houbara bustard
Chlamydotis undulata
Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala
WV/PM
White-tailed lapwing
Chettusia leucura
Chiltan, Hazarganji
PM/SBV
Spotted sandgrouse
Pterocles senegallus
Hazarganji
PM/WV
Rock dove
Columba livia
Bibi Nala, Hinjeeri Nala, Nulli Nala
R
Common wood pigeon
Columba palumbus
Bibi Nala, Hinjeeri Nala, Nulli Nala
R
European turtle dove
Streptopelia turtur
Hazarganji Nala
WV
Eurasian collared dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Hazarganji Nala
R/SBV
Laughing dove
Spilopelia senegalensis
Rest-house
R/SBV
Rose-ringed parakeet
Psittacula krameri
Chiltan, Hazarganji
SBV
Common cuckoo
Cuculus canorus
Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
SB
Spotted owlet
Athene brama
Bibi Nala, Chiltan
R
Eurasian eagle-owl
Bubo bubo
Kharkhasa
R
Eurasian scops owl
Otus scops
Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala
SBV
Pallid scops owl
Otus brucei
Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa
SBV
European nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus
Kharkhasa
SBV/WV
Common swift
Apus apus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
SBV
Little swift
Apus affinis
Hazarganji
SBV
Alpine swift
Apus melba
Chiltan Forest, Kharkhasa
SBV
European bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Near rest-house
SBV
Asian green bee-eater
Merops orientalis
Hazarganji
SBV
Eurasian hoopoe
Upupa epops
Stream bed of Chiltan
SBV
Scaly-bellied woodpecker
Picus squamatus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
R
Hume's short-toed lark
Calandrella acutirostris
Chiltan
SBV
Greater short-toed lark
Calandrella brachydactyla
Chiltan Forest
WV
Oriental skylark
Alauda gulgula
Hazarganji
R
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitor
Chiltan, Hazarganji
WV
Lesser whitethroat
Sylvia curruca
Chiltan, Hazarganji
WV
Bay-backed shrike
Lanius vittatus
Chiltan, Hazarganji
WV
Eurasian skylark
Alauda arvensis
Chiltan Reserve forest, Hazarganji
WV
Chiltan express
This train used to have a Quetta-Lahore route via Dera Ghazi Khan and Kot Adu Jn. This route opened in 1973, hence the Chiltan Express likely started operations on or after that year.
Over the years the route of the Chiltan Express has been varied many times by running it between Quetta and Peshawar via Faisalabad, between Quetta and Rawalpindi via Lahore, and these days between Quetta and Lahore via Faisalabad.
References
External links