Lal Suhanra National Park
Sights/Landmarks/National park/PARKS

Lal Suhanra is a national park in Bahawalpur district of Punjab, which is one of the largest nationals parks in South Asia. It is also a UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve. Lal Sohanra is notable for the diversity of its landscape, which includes areas of desert, forest and wetland.

Lal Suhanra National Park was developed in 1972, and is the home of many animals and birds, including the rare chinkara gazelle and wild boar. Over 400 animals are currently being bred in the Lal Suhanra Park, including a large population of blackbucks. The park is constantly supplied with new blackbucks in order to extend its efforts toward conservation.

The park's terrain is generally flat, interspersed with sand dunes measuring between 1 and 6 m in height and occupying as many as thousands of acres each. The biosphere reserve is crossed by the dried-up bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra River and comprises Patisar Lake and irrigated land. 
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Many species of animals can be found throughout the park. These include several wild animals of the desert such as wildcats, rabbits, bustards, and deer. Reptiles in the park include the monitor lizard, Russell's viper, Indian cobra, saw-scaled viper, wolf snake, John's sand boa, and spiny-tailed lizard. More than 160 species of birds are also present, including the houbara bustard, griffon vulture, crested honey buzzard, marsh harrier, hen harrier, laggar falcon, peregrine falcon, kestrel, Eurasian sparrowhawk, Egyptian vulture, lark, shrike, wheatear, and barn owl. Lake Patisar, a large body of water in the center of the park, is ideal for bird watching. In mid-winter, the lake is regularly home to between 10,000 and 30,000 ducks and common coot.

There are archaeological remains of an ancient civilization which once flourished along the Ghaggar-Hakra River.

Getting to and around:
Lal Suhanra is 36 km (22 miles) north-east of Bahawalpur - leave the town by the khairpur road and fork right after about 30 km (20 miles) on a dirt track to join the desert feeder canal. There is a rest house which you can book through the Park Office, 3-A Trust colony, Bahawalpur or you can camp.

how to get there

Fly: 
Fly to Bahawalpur Airport from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Then drive to Lal Suhanra.

Train: 
Take a train to Bahawalpur railway station from almost any major Pakistani city or town. Travel time varies on train's speed and stops. 
Then drive to Lal Suhanra.
Railway Schedule. 

Bus: 
Daewoo bus offers service to Bahawalpur from multiple locations. It takes 7 hours from Lahore, with 2 stops. 
Schedule: Daewoo website

Drive: 
Take the N-5/AH2 highway from Lahore for 7 hours. Take the N-5 highway from Karachi for 14 hours.

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Sights