Lal Suhanra National Park

Lal Suhanra was declared a national park in 1972 and later recognised as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and its interest lies in holding three quite different habitats side by side: Cholistan desert sand, irrigated plantation forest, and the Patisar lake wetland. That mix supports an unusual species list for Punjab. Blackbuck, which had vanished from the wild here, were reintroduced into enclosures and now breed in numbers; nilgai, the large blue bull antelope, are present, along with chinkara gazelle, hog deer and a wildlife breeding centre that has worked with houbara bustard and other species. The lake draws wintering waterfowl and waders. Facilities include a small zoo-style enclosure area, rest houses and tracks through the plantation. It is popular as a day trip from Bahawalpur, and much of the visitor experience is in the enclosures rather than in wild viewing.

Background

The park lies some 35 km east of Bahawalpur, on both sides of the Desert Branch canal, and is one of the largest in Pakistan, most of it desert, with belts of irrigated plantation and a scatter of ponds and lakes. The land is mostly flat, broken by low sand dunes, and the dry bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra River crosses it, along whose banks the Indus Valley Civilisation once flourished. Native animals include the Indian wolf, white-footed fox, Asiatic wildcat and Indian hare, Russell's viper, the Indian cobra, the saw-scaled viper and the spiny-tailed lizard, and among its birds are the Sind woodpecker, the great Indian bustard, the steppe eagle and the Eurasian griffon vulture; the chital has been brought in.

Source: Wikipedia, "Lal Suhanra National Park"

The landscape

• Blackbuck enclosures - the reintroduced herds in fenced areas.
• Nilgai and chinkara - larger antelope in the park's open sections.
• Patisar lake - wetland with wintering waterfowl.
• Habitat contrast - desert, plantation forest and water within one park.

When to go

November to March for both comfort and birds; summer is very hot and the animals are inactive. Early morning and late afternoon are best for wildlife. Weekends bring family visitors to the enclosure areas.

Before you go

Much of the wildlife is in enclosures, so this is closer to a safari park than a wilderness reserve. Management and upkeep are inconsistent, and some facilities are run down. Tracks require a vehicle. Do not expect the density or wildness of a major African or Indian park.

Nearby

Bahawalpur and Noor Mahal are west; Cholistan begins south.

Key facts