| Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park | |
| Alt Name: | ہزارگنجی-چلٹن نیشنل پارک |
| Iucn Category: | ii |
| Map: | Pakistan |
| Location: | Balochistan |
| Nearest City: | Quetta |
| Coordinates: | 30.22°N 66.73°W |
| Area Ha: | 15555 |
| Established: | 1980 |
| Governing Body: | Balochistan Wildlife Department |
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 20km (10miles) southwest of the city of Quetta.
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]
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]
The trees in the forests include Pashtun Juniper (Juniperus macropoda), pistachio, almond, and ash trees.
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]
Total 30 species of mammals include:[3]
| Name of animal | Scientific name | Distribution | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemiechinus auritus megalotis | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Paraechinus hypomelas | Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Crocidura gmelini | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Crocidura zarudnyi | Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Rhinolophus ferrumequinum | Hazarganji | ||
| Canis lupus pallipes | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Canis aureus | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Vulpes vulpes | Bibi Nala, Chiltan, Duzchur, Hazarganji, Hinjeeri Nala, Ziarat Nala | ||
| Caracal caracal | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Felis chaus | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Hazarganji Reserve forest, Kharkhasa | ||
| Martes foina | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Hazarganji Reserve forest, Kharkhasa | ||
| Vormela peregusna | Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Hyaena hyaena | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Capra aegagrus chialtanensis | All over the park | ||
| Lepus capensis | Bibi Nala, Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala | ||
| Ochotona rufescens | Hazarganji Reserve forest | ||
| Cricetulus migratorius | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Calomyscus baluchi | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Allactaga elater | Chiltan Hills, Hazarganji | ||
| Dryomys nitedula | Chiltan Reserve forest, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | ||
| Hystrix indica | Chiltan, Hazarganji (1,800–2,500m) | ||
| Meriones crassus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Meriones persicus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Meriones libycus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Ellobius fuscocapillus | Chiltan, Hazargani (1,900–2,400m) | ||
| Mus saxicola | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Rattus rattus | Museum and rest-house | ||
| Millardia gleadowi | Hazarganji | ||
| Mus musculus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | ||
| Nesokia indica | Bibi Nala, Hazarganji, Hinjeeri Nala, Ziarat Nala |
| Name of animal | Scientific name | Distribution | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accipiter badius | Near rest-house | WV/SBV | ||
| Accipiter nisus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | SBV | ||
| Milvus migrans | Chiltan, Hazarganji | SBV | ||
| Aquila chrysaetos | Samthar | R/WV | ||
| Aquila rapax | Chiltan, Hazarganji | R | ||
| Hieraaetus fasciatus | Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | R | ||
| Circaetus gallicus | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | R | ||
| Gypaetus barbatus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | WV/R | ||
| Gyps fulvus | Chiltan | R | ||
| Neophron percnopterus | Chiltan | SBV | ||
| Aegypius monachus | Chiltan | SBV/WV | ||
| Buteo rufinus | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | WV | ||
| Circus cyaneus | Chiltan Forest | R/WV | ||
| Falco tinnunculus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | R/WV | ||
| Falco subbuteo | Chiltan, Kharkhasa | WV | ||
| Falco cherrug | Bibi Nala, Kharkhasa | WV | ||
| Falco peregrinus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | SBV/WV | ||
| Falco columbarius | Chiltan, Hazarganji | SBV/WV | ||
| Ammoperdix griseogularis | Bibi Nala | R | ||
| Alectoris chukar | Kangri Nala | R | ||
| Chlamydotis undulata | Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala | WV/PM | ||
| Chettusia leucura | Chiltan, Hazarganji | PM/SBV | ||
| Pterocles senegallus | Hazarganji | PM/WV | ||
| Columba livia | Bibi Nala, Hinjeeri Nala, Nulli Nala | R | ||
| Columba palumbus | Bibi Nala, Hinjeeri Nala, Nulli Nala | R | ||
| Streptopelia turtur | Hazarganji Nala | WV | ||
| Streptopelia decaocto | Hazarganji Nala | R/SBV | ||
| Spilopelia senegalensis | Rest-house | R/SBV | ||
| Psittacula krameri | Chiltan, Hazarganji | SBV | ||
| Cuculus canorus | Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | SB | ||
| Athene brama | Bibi Nala, Chiltan | R | ||
| Bubo bubo | Kharkhasa | R | ||
| Otus scops | Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala | SBV | ||
| Otus brucei | Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa | SBV | ||
| Caprimulgus europaeus | Kharkhasa | SBV/WV | ||
| Apus apus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | SBV | ||
| Apus affinis | Hazarganji | SBV | ||
| Apus melba | Chiltan Forest, Kharkhasa | SBV | ||
| Merops apiaster | Near rest-house | SBV | ||
| Merops orientalis | Hazarganji | SBV | ||
| Upupa epops | Stream bed of Chiltan | SBV | ||
| Picus squamatus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | R | ||
| Calandrella acutirostris | Chiltan | SBV | ||
| Calandrella brachydactyla | Chiltan Forest | WV | ||
| Alauda gulgula | Hazarganji | R | ||
| Lanius excubitor | Chiltan, Hazarganji | WV | ||
| Sylvia curruca | Chiltan, Hazarganji | WV | ||
| Lanius vittatus | Chiltan, Hazarganji | WV | ||
| Alauda arvensis | Chiltan Reserve forest, Hazarganji | WV |
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.