Lal Suhanra National Park is located in the Bahawalpur district of Punjab province in Pakistan. It is one of Pakistan's largest national parks and has been named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The park has desert, forest, and wetland ecosystems.

There are ancient remains from the Indus Valley Civilization, which once thrived along the Ghaggar-Hakra River (paleo Saraswati River).

Geography

Lal Suhanra National Park is located about 35 kilometers east of Bahawalpur and includes both forest and desert environments. The park lies on both sides of the Desert Branch canal and covers an area of 127,480 acres (51,590 hectares). Of this, 20,974 acres (8,488 hectares) are green land (irrigated plantations), 101,726 acres (41,167 hectares) are dry land (desert), and 4,780 acres (1,930 hectares) are wet land (ponds and lakes). The park’s land is mostly flat, with sand dunes ranging from 1 to 6 meters tall covering thousands of acres each.

The protected area includes the dried-up bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and features Patisar Lake and irrigated land. Officials stated that native trees, such as Indian rosewood and Acacia karroo, will be planted on 1,212 acres of barren land within the wildlife reserve.

Wildlife

Many species live in the park, including Asiatic wildcat, nilgai, rabbit, bustard, blackbuck, and Indian hog deer. Reptiles found in the park include monitor lizard, Russell's viper, Indian cobra, saw-scaled viper, wolf snake, John's sand boa, and spiny-tailed lizard.