Khojir National Park (Persian: پارک ملی خجیر) is Iran's oldest protected area. It is located on the southern side of the Alborz Mountains, east of Tehran in Tehran Province. The area was first created as a wildlife reserve in 1979 and later changed to a national park in 1982. The park covers 99.71 square kilometers in the Jajrood River basin. Its elevation ranges from 1,200 to 2,200 meters above sea level.

History

The area has been a royal game reserve since 1754 and was added to the Jajrood Protected Area in 1979. The park includes the village of Khojir and the very large Khojir missile production complex, which is owned by the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group.

Flora

Vegetation found above 1,400 m (4,600 ft) includes mainly the Persian pistachio tree (Pistacia atlantica) and wild almond (Prunus lycioides). These plants are mixed with buckthorn (Rhamnus pallasi), Persian juniper (Juniperus excelsa), wild cherry (Prunus cerasus), and Cotoneaster bushes.

Fauna

Camera trap studies in a protected area since 2005 have recorded Persian leopards and Asiatic wildcats. A Pallas's cat was first seen in the spring of 2008.