Broghil Valley National Park
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Broghil Valley National Park (Urdu: بروغل) is located in the upper northern reaches of the Upper Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Geography
Broghil Valley is 250 km (160 mi) from the main town of Chitral and is the northernmost valley within the Upper Chitral district. Broghil valley borders on the Afghan Wakhan corridor, which stretches between Tajikistan and Pakistan.
The area is mostly mountainous. Elevations range from between 3,280 m (10,760 ft) at the village of Kishmanjah to 4,304 m (14,121 ft) at Karambar Lake in the northeast. The terrain is undulating with mountains, grassy plains, and valleys. It includes almost 3,400 ha of peatlands and lakes. The valley features around 30 freshwater lakes and is surrounded by glaciers and mountains.
Tourism
The Broghil valley’s remote location makes it a hard-to-reach tourist destination. Many communities in Broghil lack access to basic facilities and services. The annual Broghil Festival attracts visitors, however it lacks basic road and hospitality infrastructure. Attendees enjoy attractions and activities such as yak polo and exhibitions of woolen handicrafts, accompanied by traditional food and music.
Flora and Fauna
Spread across the grassy plains are scrubs and Common plants include Webb's rose, Artemisia brevifolia, and Artemisia maritima. The forests are mainly dominated by Juniperus species and Betula . 23 mammals, 120 birds, 3 reptiles, and 1 amphibian species have been confirmed.
Mammals
- Siberian ibex, C.s.sakeen
- Bharal, P.n.nayaur
- Marco Polo sheep, O.a.polii
- Himalayan musk deer, M.leucogaster
- Persian leopard, P.p.saxicolor
- Snow leopard, P.uncia
- Turkestan lynx, L.l.isabellinus
- Leopard cat, P.b.bengalensis
- Himalayan wolf, C.l.chanco
- Golden jackal, C.a.indica
- Red fox, V.v.montana
- Himalayan brown bear, U.t.isabellinus
- Long-tailed marmot, M.c.aurea
- Pale gray shrew, C.pergisea
Himalayan birds
- Chukar partridge, Alectoris chukar
- Snow partridge, Lerwalerwa
- Himalayan snowcock, Tetrogallus himalayanus
- Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos daphanea
- Bearded vulture, Gypaetus barbatus
- Snow pigeon, Columba leuconota
Herpeto-fauna
- Chitral gecko, Cyrtodactylus walli
- Plump banded gecko, Cyrtodactylus dattanensis
- Caucasian agama, Paralaudakia caucasia
- Baltistan toad, Bufo latastii
See also
References
- ^ Hydrological assessment of significant lakes in Broghil and Qurumbar Valleys, Northern Alpine Wetlands Complex.
- ^ "Broghil Valley Chitral Location, Map & Pictures". Akhbar Nama. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
