Note: The marked area of the game reserve is approximate and not verified.
Qazi Nag was designated a status of Game Reserve in 1982 because of the habitat and the abundance of wildlife. Mr. chaudhry Mohammad Razzaq, director AJK Wildlife Department, announced in Aug 2015 that Qazi Nag Game Reserve in Hattian Bala district of Azad Kashmir will be soon upgraded as National Park.
Location:
In Azad Kashmir’s Jhelum valley near the Line of control, lie the majestic forests and peaks of the Qazi Nag game reserve. Qazi Nag Qazi Game Reserve lies in the district Hattian Bala of Azad Kashmir. The approximate area of the reserve in around 48 sq. km. On the other side of the control line in the Indian occupied Kashmir, Kazi Nag had already been declared a National park.
Wildlife:
>>Predatory cats in the area are Common Leopard and the rare leopard cat of Kashmir which are protected by every law in Pakistan. Other predatory mammals include the Asiatic Black Bears of Kashmir, the scavanger Red Fox of the Himalaya, Asian Palm Civets and the beautiful Yellow Throated Martins.
>>The reserve is also home to some primate species like the common Rhesus Monkey and the rare Grey Langur of the Himalaya whose status in the reserve is unknown.
>>The mountainous landscape of the reserve serves as breeding grounds for some species of the goat family. PirPanjal Markhor (Capra falconeri cashmiriensis) which has weighty, flat horns, twisted like a screws, the Kashmir Markhor, the Himalayan Grey Goral and the endangered Musk Deer of Kashmir are also found in the reserve.
>>The reserve is home to a dozen of species of birds. Species specific to the habitat include the colorful Western Horned Tragopan, Cheer Pheasant which is the only member of the genus Catreus, the indigenous Koklass Pheasant, the sharp coloured Monal Pheasant which is also the the national bird of Nepal, Kaleej Pheasant and one specie of the Himalayan Griffon vulture which is the largest and heaviest bird found in the Himalayas.
Conservation Actions:
Conservation actions through lively community contribution at the QaziNag Game reserve are being taken. These activities are financed by the American people through USAID, minute contributions and ambassador’s Fund plan. These curriculums are put into practice by NRSP and Neelum Valley Clusters Coordination development Forum NVCCDF-AJK.
Goals of this conservation plan are to raise awareness in the local about the importance of wildlife in the ecological system, modernize the watching ward system and reduce the communication gaps between the community and the law enforcement. Nature clubs have been established in schools to educate children about conservation and wildlife. Despite these efforts, locals and timber mafia regularly set the jungle on fire which results in brutal and inhumane killing of wildlife. Just recently, a wild leopard cat was caught in this fire and tried to move towards the villages to escape fire but he couldn’t survive.