Changa Manga

The Changa Manga is a planted forest and a wildlife park in Lahore District, Punjab, Pakistan.

Forestry

The forest is entered from a road from off the N-5 Highway near Bhai Pheru. The forest covers an area of 48.6 square kilometres (12,000 acres)^[1] and is one of the largest man-made forests on the planet. The planting and irrigation of the land took place in the 19th century in the era of the British Raj due to the need for timber for the Indian Railways network. The most common species of trees are Dalbergia sissoo (sheesham), Acacia nilotica (kikar), both members of the Fabaceae native to the Indian subcontinent, white mulberry (Morus alba), popular in cultivation throughout South Asia, or Eucalyptus and Populus species.^[2]

Wildlife park

The wildlife park in Changa Manga covers an area of 40 acres (16 ha) and was built in 2008. The park is home to species of hog deer, Indian peafowl, jackal, mouflon, nilgai and wild boar.^[3] Changa Manga Wildlife Park is one of the three wildlife parks located in Lahore District, other two Jallo Wildlife Park and Lahore Zoo Safari, also called Woodland Wildlife Park.

Breeding center

Changa Manga also serves as a wildlife breeding center.

Conservation

Vulture center

Changa Manga plantation is also an important place for restocking projects of Asiatic vultures in Pakistan. A Gyps Vulture Restoration Program was started in 2006 by WWF-Pakistan to conserve and breed endangered species of Gyps, especially Gyps bengalensis.^[4] The project is currently managed by Uzma Khan.

Recreation

Parts of the forest have now been developed into a recreation park with a rail road which gives the visitor a 5 km ride on a miniature train through the forest. Other attractions include a water turbine, a waterfall and a children’s play area. There is also a lake called 'Lunar Lake' where boating is possible. Changa Manga Tourist Resort is situated 80 km from Lahore city. Tourist Development Corporation of Pakistan (TDCP) arranges picnic trips to Changa Manga throughout the year.^[5]

Deforestation

Deforestation of Changa Manga

the unbridled wood mafia in connivance with the forest officials are rapidly deforesting the world’s largest artificial forest and so far more than 60 percent of Changa Manga Wildlife Park has been deforested, The Nation (Pakistani newspaper) has learnt. An article published by Waqas A. Khan^[6]

See also

• Forestry in Pakistan
• List of zoos in Pakistan

References

1. ^ Changa Manga Forest Railway
2. ^ "Introduction to forests of Pakistan". rrcap.unep.org. http://www.rrcap.unep.org/lc/cd/html/countryrep/pakistan/introduction.html. Retrieved 14 August 2010. 
3. ^ Ahmed, Shoaib (June 9, 2005). "Wildlife Dept setting up 40-acre wildlife park at Changa Manga". dailytimes.com.pk (Daily Times, Pakistan). http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_9-6-2005_pg7_24. Retrieved November 26, 2010. 
4. ^ Murn, Campbell; Khan, Uzma; Farid, Faisal. "Vulture populations in Pakistan and Gyps Vulture Restoration Project". vulturerescue.org. Vulture Rescue. http://www.vulturerescue.org/Pakistan%20Summary%20Hawk%20Cons%20paper%202008.pdf. Retrieved November 26, 2010. 
5. ^ "Changa Manga". tdcp.gop.pk. Tourist Development Corporation of Pakistan. http://www.tdcp.gop.pk/Destinations/Parks/ChangaManga/tabid/349/Default.aspx. Retrieved November 26, 2010. 
6. ^ Khan, Waqas A. "Mafia deforests 60pc of world’s largest park". nation.com.pk. Daily The Nation. http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/11-Nov-2011/Mafia-deforests-60pc-of-worlds-largest-park. Retrieved November 11, 2011. 

External links

• Deforestation of Changa Manga - The Nation Article
• Pakistanpaedia - Changa Manga
• (German) Description of Changa Manga plantation

Coordinates: 31°05′N 73°58′E / 31.083°N 73.967°E / 31.083; 73.967