Changa Manga
Encyclopedia
The Changa Manga is a planted forest and a wildlife park
in Lahore District
, Punjab
, Pakistan
.
near Bhai Pheru
. The forest covers an area of 48.6 square kilometres (12,009.3 acre) 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.
, Indian peafowl
, jackal
, mouflon
, nilgai
and wild boar. 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.
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. The project is currently managed by Uzma Khan
.
Wildlife Park
Wildlife Park is a construction and management simulation game released in 2003. Like Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Empire, the game involves players in building a wildlife park or zoo.-Animal list:45 animals were included in the original game....
in Lahore District
Lahore District
Lahore District is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan that contains the city of Lahore, the district and provincial capital. The total area is...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Forestry
The forest is entered from a road from off the N-5 HighwayN-5 National Highway
The National Highway 05 or the N-5 is Pakistan's longest highway running from the port city of Karachi to the border crossing at Torkham...
near Bhai Pheru
Bhai Pheru
Phool Nagar is a town in Pattoki Tehsil of Kasur District in Punjab, Pakistan.-References:...
. The forest covers an area of 48.6 square kilometres (12,009.3 acre) and is one of the largest man-made forests on the planet. The planting and irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
of the land took place in the 19th century in the era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
of the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
due to the need for timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
for the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
network. The most common species of trees are Dalbergia sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo, known as Shisham, is an erect deciduous tree, native to the Indian Subcontinent. It is also called sissoo, sisu, sheesham, tahli and sometimes referred to as Indian Rosewood. It is state tree of Punjab state and provincial tree of Punjab province...
(sheesham), Acacia nilotica
Acacia nilotica
Acacia nilotica is a species of Acacia native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent...
(kikar), both members of the Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
native to the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, white mulberry (Morus alba), popular in cultivation throughout South Asia, or Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
and Populus species.
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 deerHog Deer
The Hog Deer is a small deer whose habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland southeast Asia...
, Indian peafowl
Indian Peafowl
The Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world...
, jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
, mouflon
Mouflon
The mouflon is a subspecies group of the wild sheep Ovis aries. Populations of Ovis aries can be partitioned into the mouflons and urials or arkars...
, nilgai
Nilgai
The nilgai , sometimes called nilgau, is an antelope, and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals of central and northern India and eastern Pakistan; it is also present in parts of southern Nepal. The mature males appear ox-like and are also known as blue bulls...
and wild boar. Changa Manga Wildlife Park is one of the three wildlife parks located in Lahore District, other two Jallo Wildlife Park and Lahore Zoo Safari
Lahore Zoo Safari
Lahore Zoo Safari, also called Woodland Wildlife Park, is a wildlife and safari park located in Lahore District, Punjab, Pakistan. The Safari is located on Raiwind Road about from the Lahore Zoo.-History:...
, also called Woodland Wildlife Park.
Vulture center
Changa Manga plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
is also an important place for restocking projects of Asiatic vultures in Pakistan. A Gyps Vulture Restoration Program was started in 2006 by WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
-Pakistan to conserve and breed endangered species of Gyps
Gyps
The Gyps vultures are a genus of Old World vultures in the bird family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks....
, especially Gyps bengalensis. The project is currently managed by Uzma Khan
Uzma Khan
Uzma Khan is a zoologist, conservationist and animal welfare activist from Pakistan.-Career:Uzma Khan did her MSc in 'Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare'. She specialized in 'Endangered Species Management'.Uzma has been working at WWF-Pakistan since 1998...
.
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.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. KhanWaqas A. Khan
Waqas A. Khan is an Educationist, Social Worker, Trainer and Public Speaker from Pakistan. Contact Waqas at +92-300-9119770-Career:Mr. Waqas A. Khan holds Master of Philosophy M.Phil/MS degrees in Quality Assurance Management. He holds diploma in “Practical Project Management” from Ateneo de Manila...