Hingol National Park
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Hingol National Park or Hungol National Park (Urdu: ہنگول ) covers an area of 1,650 square kilometres (640 sq mi) and is the largest National Park in Pakistan. It was established in 1988.
Geography
Hingol National Park is located along the Makran coast in southwestern Balochistan Province, southwestern Pakistan. It lies within sections of Lasbela District, Gwadar District, and Awaran District. The Gulf of Oman of the Arabian Sea are to the south.[1] The provincial capital of Karachi is approximately 190 kilometres (120 mi) to the southeast on the coast.
Natural history
Flora
Hingol National Park contains a variety of topographical features and habitats, varying from arid subtropical forest in the north to arid montane in the west. Large areas of the park are covered with drift sand and can be classified as coastal semi desert. The park includes the estuary of the Hungol River which supports a significant diversity of bird and fish species.[2]
Some 250 plant species were recorded in the initial surveys including 7 yet undescribed species. Many more species are yet to be collected.
Fauna
Hingol National Park is known to support at least 35 species of mammals, 65 species of amphibians and reptiles and 185 species of birds. The park forms an excellent habitat to wild Sindh ibex, Baluchistan urial and chinkara gazelle. Ibex is found in all steep mountain ranges and numerous in the Hinglaj and Rodani Kacho Mountain areas. Total population is estimated over 3000.[3]
List of Faunas at Hingol National Park:
Mammals
- Sind leopard
- Indian fox
- Jungle cat
- Pakistan sand cat
- Striped hyena
- Golden jackal
- Sindh ibex
- Urial
- Chinkara
- Honey badger
- Indian pangolin
- long-eared hedgehog
- Indian crested porcupine
- Indian gray mongoose
- Cairo spiny mouse
- Carrot-tail viper gecko
Reptiles
- Marsh crocodile
- Olive ridley
- Green sea turtle
- Desert monitor
- Yellow monitor
- Indian fringe-fingered lizard
- Indian sand-swimmer and the Melanophidium bilineatum
Birds
- Houbara bustard
- Spot-billed pelican
- Dalmatian pelican
- Bonelli's eagle
- Imperial eagle
- Golden eagle
- Tawny eagle
- Griffon vulture
- Egyptian vulture
- Cinereous vulture
- Laggar falcon
- Red-necked falcon
- Kestrel
- Brown-necked raven
- Lichtenstein's sandgrouse
- Grey partridge
- See-see partridge
- Stone-curlew
- Indian sandgrouse
- Crowned sandgrouse
- Painted sandgrouse
- Eurasian stone-curlew
- Eagle owl
- Sind pied woodpecker
- Hume's chat
- Long-billed pipit
- Striped buning
- Finch-larks
- Hoopoe
- Shrike
- Black bittern
- Goliath heron
- Black ibis
- Wheatear
Amphibians
Fishes
- Golden mahasheer
- Botchee
Important species
There are 14 species of birds of special conservation interest on account of being threatened (as per IUCN Red List 2005), very rare or key species of the park.[4]
- Sociable lapwing (critically endangered)
- Saker falcon (endangered))
- White-backed vulture (vulnerable)
- Spot-billed pelican (vulnerable)
- Dalmatian pelican (vulnerable)
- Eastern imperial eagle (vulnerable)
- Pallas's fish eagle (vulnerable)
- Houbara bustard (vulnerable)
- Black ibis (near-threatened)
- Black-tailed godwit(near-threatened)
- Sooty falcon (rare)
- Goliath heron (vagrant)
- Desert owl (confined to Makran Coast only)
- Brown fish owl (very rare)
Conservation
According to independent reports 20 staff members, 18 game watchers and 2 deputy rangers, are currently responsible for the management of the park. They are under the guidance of the park manager, who reports to the conservator and the Secretary of Wildlife, Forest, Livestock, Environment and Tourism.
See also
- Hingol mud volcano
- Makran
- Natural history of Balochistan, Pakistan
References
- ↑ Wildlife of Pakistan - Hingol National Park
- ↑ "Country Report on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture – Pakistan" (PDF). parc.gov.pk. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- ↑ "Hingol National Park". Pakistan Paedia: National Parks. JalalsPages. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- ↑ Syed Ali Ghalib, Abdul Jabbar, Jan Wind, Afsheen Zehra, Darakhsan Abbas. (2008), Avifauna of Hingol National Park, Balochistan, Pakistan J. Zool, pp. 317-330
External links
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hingol National Park. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hingol National Park. |
Coordinates: 25°36′N 65°40′E / 25.600°N 65.667°E