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Khirthar
National Park
Baseline Environmental Study
The
Park
Khirthar
National Park is one of Pakistan's largest, stretching over
3087 square kilometres in the foothills of the Khirthar Range,
south western Sindh, approximately 100 kilometres north of
Karachi (between longitudes 67 o 06' and 67 o 56' E, and latitudes
25 o 09' and 26 o 07' N) (Fig. 1.1). The park is listed as
a protected Category II area by the International Union for
Conservation and Nature (IUCN). It was established by the
Government of Khirthar National Park Baseline Study Introduction
Sindh on 31 st January 1974, is governed by the regulations
laid out in the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972,
and is managed by the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD). Key
features of the Park include its large indigenous population
(mostly from the Burfat, Rind and Gabol tribes), rugged land
forms, and indigenous flora and fauna, including populations
of threatened mammal species such as Sindh Ibex (Capra aegagrus),
Urial (Ovis vignei) and Chinkara (Gazella bennettii). The
park is bounded by the Mahal Kohistan Wildlife Sanctuary (705
km 2 ) to the south, the Sumbak Game Reserve (406 km 2 ) to
the east, and the provincial border with Boluchistan to the
west (Fig. 1.2). Approximately one-third of the park lies
within the Karachi administrative district and two-thirds
in the Dadu district. While this study focussed on the park
itself, a buffer zone of 5 km around the northern, eastern
and southern borders of the park, and encompassing much of
the wildlife and game reserves, was also included in the survey
described in this report, increasing the total area investigated
to just over 5,000 km 2 .
Fig.
1.1 Location of Khirthar National Park. The 5 km buffer zone
around the park and the adjacent wildlife and game reserves
on the southern and eastern borders of the park respectively,
are included. Latitude and longitude (degrees) are indicated.
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