Khunjerab National Park

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Khunjerab National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Khunjerab National Park is established adjacent to Taxkorgan Natural Reserve, China
Location	Hunza District, Karakoram, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Coordinates	36°35′13.21″N 75°23′59.5″E / 36.5870028°N 75.399861°E / 36.5870028; 75.399861
Area	2,269.13 km2 (876.12 sq mi)
Elevation	17,000 ft (5,200 m)
Established	1975
Visitors	250000

Khunjerab National Park (Urdu: خنجراب نیشنل پارک‎) is a national park in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan.^[1] Khunjerab National Park is Pakistan's third largest national park, and is adjacent to the Taxkorgan Natural Reserve in China.

Etymology[]

Khun means "blood" and jerav means "to stream" in Wakhi, the native language of the region.

History[]

Khunjerab National Park was established primarily as a means to protect the Marco Polo sheep (as well as snow leopards and bharal) living in the area.^[2] The borders of the park were mapped by Schaller in 1974, after a short field survey. The park was formally established on 29 April 1975 by Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who said that "it must become a world famous park".^[3]

Khunjerab Pass is close to the national park's northwest corner

Despite being listed as a category 2 national park, banning human activities including agriculture and hunting, the park was poorly managed, meaning that illegal hunting of the Marco Polo sheep continued. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature commissioned Norwegian biologist Per Wegge to do a wildlife survey of the park in 1988.^[4] Wegge found that there was no evidence of competition between the domestic sheep being illegally grazed and the wild Marco Polo sheep, and that most of the illegal hunting was not being done by local Wakhi residents.^[4] He therefore proposed that the park be reclassified, allowing grazing and commercial hunting, with the profits going to local residents. However, the government overlooked Wegge's suggestions, instead drawing up a new management plan, which both the IUCN and the World Wildlife Fund supported as a means to preserve the park and protect the wildlife. Wegge was critical of the government scheme, claiming that it was based on financial considerations, with the Pakistani government hoping to attract tourists to the area. The IUCN agreed with this, and has since distanced itself from the national park.^[5] To help protect the animals from poaching, the WWF has created the Khunzerav Village Organization, which relies on people living in the area to report poaching or endangered animal sightings.^[6] This park was created on 29 April 1975 on the recommendation of wildlife biologist . Over half of the park is above 4,000 m. Khunjerab Pass, the gateway to China via the Karakoram Highway, is at 4,934 m.

Wildlife[]

The primary purpose of this park was to provide protection to the endangered Marco Polo sheep, which is only found in this area in Pakistan. According to the Mir of Hunza, the population of sheep was around 400 but had dropped to below 180 by the time of the completion of the Karakoram Highway. A herd of almost 75 Marco Polo sheep was recorded in the spring of 1984 and park staff saw at least 50 crossing the pass in May 1989.

The park is also famous for its snow leopards. Some reports say that it might contain the highest density of these beautiful cats in the total Himalayan ecosystem, which is the natural habitat of these cats. Over 2,000 Siberian ibex, widely distributed and abundant in the park but absent from neighbouring China, are also present here.

Feral or semi-feral animals especially domestic yaks can be seen roaming in the park.^[7]

Mammals[]

Total species: 16. Mammals in the park include:

Name of animal	Scientific name	Status	Pictures
Snow leopard	Panther uncia	Threatened
Himalayan ibex	Capra ibex sibirica	Least concern
Himalayan brown bear	Ursus arctos isabellinus	Threatened
Red fox	Vulpes vulpes	Least concern
Tibetan wolf	Canis lupus filchneri	Threatened
Blue sheep	Pseudois nayaur	Vulnerable (Shimshal are only)
Marco Polo sheep	Ovis ammon polii	Threatened
Western kiang	E. k. kiang	Unconfirmed
Fergana stoat	M. e. ferghanae	Least concern
Mountain weasel	Mustela altaica	Unconfirmed
Beech marten	Martes foina	Least concern
Long-tailed marmot	Marmota caudata	Least concern
Eurasian lynx	lynx lynx	Unconfirmed
Large-eared pika	Ochotona macrotis	Least concern
Dhole	Cuon alpinus	Unconfirmed
Cape hare	Lepus capensis	Least concern
Wood mouse	Apodemus sylvaticus	Least concern
Royle's mountain vole	Alticola roylei	Near threatened
Asian house shrew	Suncus murinus	Least concern
Etruscan shrew	Suncus etruscus	Least concern
Grey dwarf hamster	Cricetulus migratorius	Least concern

Birds[]

Name of bird	Scientific name	Pictures
Bearded vulture	Gypaetus barbatus
Golden eagle	Aquila chrysaetos
Himalayan vulture	Gyps himalayensis
Cenreous vulture	Aegypius monachus
Western marsh harrier	Circus aeruginosus
Eurasian sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus
Eurasian kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
Lesser kestrel	Falco naumanni
Saker falcon	Falco cherrug
Peregrine falcon	Falco peregrinus
Himalayan snowcock	Tetraogallus himalayensis
Chukar partridge	Alectoris chukar
Grey heron	Ardea cinerea
Common sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos
Hill pigeon	Columba rupestris
Snow pigeon	Columba leuconota
Eurasian eagle-owl	Bubo bubo
Indian eagle-owl	Bubo bengalensis
Common cuckoo	Cuculus canorus
Barn swallow	Hirundo rustica
Eurasian magpie	Pica pica
Alpine chough	Pyrrhocorax graculus
Common raven	Corvus corax

See also[]

• Khunjerab Pass
• Northern Areas, Pakistan

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khunjerab National Park.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Uncia uncia.

• WWFPak.org - Khunjerab
• Objects of Desire in the Northern Areas - Report by John Mock, UC Berkeley
• Mountain Protected Areas in Pakistan - Report by John Mock, UC Berkeley

Coordinates: 36°35′13″N 75°23′59″E / 36.58700332°N 75.39986078°E / 36.58700332; 75.39986078