Kirthar National Park is located in the Kirthar Mountains in the Dadu and Jamshoro districts of Sindh, Pakistan. It is located north of Karachi and was created in 1974. The park covers more than 3,087 km² (1,192 square miles), making it the third largest national park in Pakistan. The park is home to many animals, including leopards, striped hyenas, Indian wolves, honey badgers, urials, chinkara gazelles, and the rare Sindh ibex. Blackbucks live in special areas as part of a project to help them return to the wild.
Status
The Kirthar National Park was first named a wildlife sanctuary in 1972. Two years later, in 1974, it officially became a national park. It was the second national park in Pakistan, following the Lal Suhanra National Park. In 2004, the park and the nearby Hub Dam area were recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
Fauna
There are 38 types of mammals that live in Kirthar National Park:
- Indian leopard, Panthera pardus fusca
- Asiatic wildcat, Felis lybica ornata
- Jungle cat, Felis chaus
- Caracal, Caracal caracal caracal
- Indian wolf, Canis lupus pallipes
- Golden jackal, Canis aureus persica
- White-footed fox, Vulpes vulpes pusilla
- Striped hyena, Hyaena hyaena hyaena
- Indian grey mongoose, Urva edwardsii edwardsii
- Smooth-coated otter, Lutrogale perspicillata sindica
- Honey badger, Mellivora capensis indica
- Small Indian civet, Viverricula indica
- Asian palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
- Cairo spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus
- Sand-colored soft-furred rat, Millardia gleadowi
- Indian bush rat, Golunda ellioti
- Indian gerbil, Tatera indica
- Lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis
- Greater bandicoot rat, Bandicota indica
- Northern palm squirrel, Funambulus pennantii
- Indian hare, Lepus nigricollis
- Asian house shrew, Suncus murinus
- Anderson's shrew, Suncus stoliczkanus
- Sind bat, Rhyneptesicus nasutus
- Sindh ibex, Capra aegagrus blythi
- Urial, Ovis vignei blanfordi
- Chinkara, Gazella bennettii fuscifrons
- Blackbuck (reintroduced), Antilope cervicapra
- Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus
- Indian boar, Sus scrofa cristatus
- Arabian wolf, Canis lupus arabs
- Indian pangolin, Manis crassicaudata
- Rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta
- Northern plains gray langur, Semnopithecus entellus
- Indian hedgehog, Paraechinus micropus
- Brandt's hedgehog, Paraechinus hypomelas
- Indian crested porcupine, Hystrix indica
More than 165 bird species have been found in Kirthar National Park. These include bearded vulture (migrates during winter), Bonelli's eagle, imperial eagle, tawny eagle, golden eagle, Black eagle, Black kite, Black-winged kite, Indian vulture, griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, cinereous vulture, laggar falcon, red-necked falcon, common kestrel, crowned sandgrouse, MacQueen's bustard, Chukar partridge, grey partridge, see-see partridge, Grey francolin, Black francolin, Indian peafowl, House crow, Common myna, House sparrow, White-eared bulbul, Red-vented bulbul, Asian koel, Greenish warbler (migrates during winter), Purple sunbird, white-tailed lapwing, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, Lichtenstein's sandgrouse, painted sandgrouse, Indian eagle-owl, Barn owl, Sind woodpecker, hypocolius, Hume's wheatear, long-billed pipit, crested bunting, desert lark, hoopoe, and Indian silverbill.
The following reptile species live in Kirthar National Park: Mugger crocodile, Indian python, Indian cobra, Russell's viper, Indian saw-scaled viper, Sind krait, Black copper rat snake, desert monitor, yellow monitor, Oriental garden lizard, Northern house gecko, common dotted garden skink, Indian chameleon, Indian star tortoise, brown roofed turtle, black pond turtle, Indian softshell turtle.
Six amphibian species live in Kirthar National Park: Asian common toad, skittering frog, Indian bullfrog, Indian burrowing frog, and long-legged cricket frog.
Flora
Grasses: Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Chrysopogon aucheri, Pennisetum divisum, Cenchrus setiger, Lasiurus scindicus, Panicum turgidum, Stipagrostis plumosa, Aristida adscensionis, Eragrostis minor, Sporobolus ioclados, Phragmites australis, Cynodon dactylon
Woody trees: Prosopis cineraria, Acacia nilotica, Acacia senegal, Tamarix aphylla, Salvadora oleoides, Commiphora wightii, Boswellia sacra, Dodonaea viscosa, Grewia tenax, Calotropis procera, Azadirachta indica, Bombax ceiba
Herbs: Ipomoea pes-caprae, Tribulus terrestris, Tribulus longipetalus, Aerva javanica, Aerva persica, Cleome viscosa, Cleome scaposa, Heliotropium strigosum, Heliotropium europaeum, Farsetia hamiltonii, Amaranthus viridis