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.

It was established in 1980 and covers 325,000 acre of land located close to the Koh-i-Chiltan mountain in Quetta's outskirt.

The park is located in the Sulaiman Mountains, with desert and forest habitats, about southwest of the city of Quetta.

Etymology 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.

Biodiversity 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.

Flora The trees in the forests include Pashtun Juniper (Juniperus macropoda), pistachio, almond, and ash trees.

Fauna The fauna comprises about 300-400 rare Sulaiman Markhor and around 800 Chiltan ibex survive within the park boundaries. 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.

Species Mammals Total 30 species of mammals include: Name of animalScientific nameDistributionAfghan hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus megalotis Chiltan, Hazarganji, KharkhasaBrandt's hedgehog Paraechinus hypomelas Hazarganji, Kharkhasa Balochistan short-tailed shrew Crocidura gmelini Chiltan, Hazarganji, KharkhasaZarudny's rock shrew Crocidura zarudnyi Hazarganji, KharkhasaGreater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Hazarganji Indian wolf Canis lupus pallipes Chiltan, HazarganjiAsiatic jackal Canis aureus Chiltan, Hazarganji, KharkhasaRed fox Vulpes vulpes Bibi Nala, Chiltan, Duzchur, Hazarganji, Hinjeeri Nala, Ziarat NalaCaracal Caracal caracal Chiltan, Hazarganji, KharkhasaJungle cat Felis chaus Chiltan, Hazarganji, Hazarganji Reserve forest, KharkhasaBeech marten Martes foina Chiltan, Hazarganji, Hazarganji Reserve forest, KharkhasaMarbled polecat Vormela peregusna Hazarganji, KharkhasaStriped hyena Hyaena hyaena Chiltan, Hazarganji, KharkhasaChiltan ibex Capra aegagrus chialtanensis All over the parkCape hare Lepus capensis Bibi Nala, Hazarganji, Ziarat NalaAfghan pika Ochotona rufescens Hazarganji Reserve forestGrey dwarf hamster Cricetulus migratorius Chiltan, HazarganjiBaluchi mouse-like hamster Calomyscus baluchi Chiltan, Hazarganji, KharkhasaSmall five-toed jerboa Allactaga elater Chiltan Hills, HazarganjiForest dormouse Dryomys nitedula Chiltan Reserve forest, Hazarganji, KharkhasaIndian crested porcupine Hystrix indica Chiltan, Hazarganji (1,800–2,500m)Sundevall's jird Meriones crassus Chiltan, HazarganjiPersian jird Meriones persicus Chiltan, HazarganjiLibyan jird Meriones libycus Chiltan, HazarganjiSouthern mole vole Ellobius fuscocapillus Chiltan, Hazargani (1,900–2,400m)Brown spiny mouse Mus saxicola Chiltan, HazarganjiBlack rat Rattus rattus Museum and rest-houseSand-colored soft-furred rat Millardia gleadowi HazarganjiHouse mouse Mus musculus Chiltan, HazarganjiIndian bandicoot rat Nesokia indica Bibi Nala, Hazarganji, Hinjeeri Nala, Ziarat Nala

Avifauna Name of animalScientific nameDistributionTypeShikra Accipiter badius Near rest-house WV/SBVEurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Chiltan, Hazarganji SBVBlack kite Milvus migrans Chiltan, Hazarganji SBVGolden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Samthar R/WVTawny eagle Aquila rapax Chiltan, Hazarganji R Bonelli's eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus Hazarganji, Kharkhasa RShort-toed snake eagle Circaetus gallicus Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa RBearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus Chiltan, Hazarganji WV/RGriffon vulture Gyps fulvus Chiltan REgyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus Chiltan SBVCinereous vulture Aegypius monachus Chiltan SBV/WVLong-legged buzzard Buteo rufinus Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa WVHen harrier Circus cyaneus Chiltan Forest R/WVCommon kestrel Falco tinnunculus Chiltan, Hazarganji R/WVEurasian hobby Falco subbuteo Chiltan, Kharkhasa WVSaker falcon Falco cherrug Bibi Nala, Kharkhasa WVPeregrine falcon Falco peregrinus Chiltan, Hazarganji SBV/WVMerlin Falco columbarius Chiltan, Hazarganji SBV/WVSee-see partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis Bibi Nala RChukar partridge Alectoris chukar Kangri Nala RHoubara bustard Chlamydotis undulata Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala WV/PMWhite-tailed lapwing Chettusia leucura Chiltan, Hazarganji PM/SBVSpotted sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus Hazarganji PM/WVRock dove Columba livia Bibi Nala, Hinjeeri Nala, Nulli Nala RCommon wood pigeon Columba palumbus Bibi Nala, Hinjeeri Nala, Nulli Nala REuropean turtle dove Streptopelia turtur Hazarganji Nala WVEurasian collared dove Streptopelia decaocto Hazarganji Nala R/SBVLaughing dove Spilopelia senegalensis Rest-house R/SBVRose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri Chiltan, Hazarganji SBVCommon cuckoo Cuculus canorus Hazarganji, Kharkhasa SBSpotted owlet Athene brama Bibi Nala, Chiltan REurasian eagle-owl Bubo bubo Kharkhasa REurasian scops owl Otus scops Hazarganji, Ziarat Nala SBVPallid scops owl Otus brucei Chiltan, Hazarganji, Kharkhasa SBVEuropean nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Kharkhasa SBV/WVCommon swift Apus apus Chiltan, Hazarganji SBVLittle swift Apus affinis Hazarganji SBVAlpine swift Apus melba Chiltan Forest, Kharkhasa SBVEuropean bee-eater Merops apiaster Near rest-house SBVAsian green bee-eater Merops orientalis Hazarganji SBVEurasian hoopoe Upupa epops Stream bed of Chiltan SBVScaly-bellied woodpecker Picus squamatus Chiltan, Hazarganji RHume's short-toed lark Calandrella acutirostris Chiltan SBVGreater short-toed lark Calandrella brachydactyla Chiltan Forest WVOriental skylark Alauda gulgula Hazarganji RGreat Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Chiltan, Hazarganji WVLesser whitethroat Sylvia curruca Chiltan, Hazarganji WVBay-backed shrike Lanius vittatus Chiltan, Hazarganji WVEurasian skylark Alauda arvensis Chiltan Reserve forest, Hazarganji WV

Chiltan express 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.

References

External links کوہ چلتن Lonely Planet: Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park Wildlife Pakistan Website: park Information - Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park

ur:ہزار گنجی چلتن نیشنل پارک