In a society which is not particularly friendly to wildlife, it is nice to know that there are certain individuals who sincerely ponder over the issue
Poaching and hunting endanger wildlife. However, it is heartening to know that even in a society that’s not particularly friendly to wildlife, there are certain motivated individuals who have set-up places where wildlife could be preserved. One such sanctuary is Mehrano. It is located about two miles from Kot Diji town and 20 miles away from the city of Khairpur. The word Mehrano is derived from the Sindhi word Mehran, which means the river Indus.
The history of Mehrano wildlife sanctuary can be traced from the times of the Talpur dynasty of the Khairpur state. It was during the fall of the Talpur rule in 1843 that the state of Khairpur (having an area of about 6,000 square miles, then ruled by Mir Ali Murad Khan) sided with the British East India Company. The Mirs of Khairpur in return to their loyalty to British forces got their sovereignty secured, and were recognized by the crown in 1885.
In 1947 this sole princely state of Sindh with predominantly Muslim population became part of the newly-created Pakistan. But till 1955, that is, the establishment of the despised One Unit, this princely state continued to enjoy autonomy within Pakistan. During the period of self-sufficiency, the progress of the state especially in the field of social services was astounding.
It is interesting to learn that in the former state, education up to class X was free of cost. The state used to spend 22 per cent of its revenue alone on promoting education. As far as economic development goes, Khairpur was also not behind other areas of Pakistan as it had a modern textile mill, a tobacco factory, a vanaspati oil factory, and a soap factory. It also had a cottage industry which produced good hand-made banarsi cloth in the country.
Some famous rulers of Khairpur were Mir Faiz Mohammad Khan, Mir Ali Nawaz Naz and Mir Ali Murad Khan-II. These rulers were great patrons of art and architecture. Because of their patronage and encouragement, Khairpur attracted many poets, scholars, physicians, and singers of the subcontinent, some of whom even chose to settle permanently in the state, making Khairpur a hub of cultural activities. Their love for architecture can be witnessed from the famous red-stone buildings of Khairpur, especially Faiz Mahal and Bali’s Palace.
Bali’s Palace was built by Mir Ali Nawaz Naz in memory of his Lahore-born love Iqbal Begum (known as Bali), his passion that has now acquired the reputation of a legend. A palace which was built on a hill near Kot Diji fort, visible from miles away, is known as Sheesh Mahal, now the residence of the first family. The sight of this gorgeous building is so awe-inspiring that it is in no way less splendid than any of Europe’s mediaeval castles. No different is the spectacle of the Kot Diji fort, as it too was built on a hill top to garrison the army.
Apart from their love for fine arts and architecture, the Mirs of Khair were obsessed with wildlife. Almost all the leaders, right from Mir Sohrab Khan, who was the first ruler of Khairpur to the last surviving prince, Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur-II, inherited hunting instincts from his ancestors. In the early period of statehood, the ruling clan, in order to go with their passion for hunting, reserved vast tracts of land as “Shikargahs” or private game reserves. They were so bewitched by this pastime that at times even established villages were uprooted for creating hunting sanctuaries. It was in 1790 that Mir Sohrab Khan established a royal game reserve, Mehrano, on a vast land, stretching from the Rohri hills to the Nara desert, where nobody dared set foot for hunting, except members of the ruling clan.
At present, Mir Ali Murad Khan-II, the last ruler of the state at the time of its merger with West Pakistan, is patron-in-chief of Mehrano. Himself a wildlife lover, Mir Ali Murad-II was extremely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating conditions of wildlife in Sindh. This made him take personal interest in the matter. Therefore, in 1968, Mehrano was turned into Mehrano Private Wildlife Refuge solely to preserve and protect the vanishing species of wildlife. He also provided his services to the Sindh wildlife management from 1968 to 1994. During his tenure he took active interest in its conservation and made every effort to restore the dwindling stock of wildlife in Sindh. He initiated a detailed management plan by planting flora and fauna in the Mehrano Wildlife Reserve area and thus was able to create a conducive atmosphere which increased the capacity of not only preserving wildlife, but also rehabilitating the forest hitherto lost to agriculture activities.
The wildlife reserve of Mehrano is spread over approximately 640 acres, protected completely from outside intrusions by a mud wall. The land has lush green forest and grass with a natural lake. Within the forest there is a multi-storey lodge built for the purpose of providing not only comfort to those animal lovers who are regular visitors to the area, but since it is constructed on a raised ground, it also provides an opportunity to the viewers to enjoy the scenic surroundings.
Several specially constructed thatched hideouts are there for viewers to witness the flight of Siberian migratory birds in big numbers. Since hunting is strictly prohibited, the number of birds has multiplied. In the forest area black buck, hog deer, and wild boar can be found roaming around. The camouflaged hideouts also provide a clear view of these animals from a small distance. A small cordoned-off section of the sanctuary with mud walls is set apart especially for the breeding of black bucks. Now this area is home to the largest number of black bucks in Pakistan.
Mehrano also has hog deer, which otherwise would have been extinct by now due to the fact that they were being mercilessly slaughtered by cruel poachers.
The other species inhabiting the forest include a large number of wild boars, jackals, wild cats and different species of local birds such as sand groves and partridges. In a region where massive deforestation and pitiless hunting has almost destroyed the eco-system, Mehrano can undoubtedly be considered as a gift of nature. Hunting in the sanctuary is strictly prohibited and to keep an eye on hunters watch towers have been built where the vigilant eyes of guards do not allow any unruly person to even cross the boundary line of the sanctuary.
Poaching and hunting endanger wildlife. However, it is heartening to know that even in a society that’s not particularly friendly to wildlife, there are certain motivated individuals who have set-up places where wildlife could be preserved. One such sanctuary is Mehrano. It is located about two miles from Kot Diji town and 20 miles away from the city of Khairpur. The word Mehrano is derived from the Sindhi word Mehran, which means the river Indus.
It is interesting to learn that in the former state, education up to class X was free of cost. The state used to spend 22 per cent of its revenue alone on promoting education. As far as economic development goes, Khairpur was also not behind other areas of Pakistan as it had a modern textile mill, a tobacco factory, a vanaspati oil factory, and a soap factory. It also had a cottage industry which produced good hand-made banarsi cloth in the country.
Apart from their love for fine arts and architecture, the Mirs of Khair were obsessed with wildlife. Almost all the leaders, right from Mir Sohrab Khan, who was the first ruler of Khairpur to the last surviving prince, Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur-II, inherited hunting instincts from his ancestors. In the early period of statehood, the ruling clan, in order to go with their passion for hunting, reserved vast tracts of land as “Shikargahs” or private game reserves. They were so bewitched by this pastime that at times even established villages were uprooted for creating hunting sanctuaries. It was in 1790 that Mir Sohrab Khan established a royal game reserve, Mehrano, on a vast land, stretching from the Rohri hills to the Nara desert, where nobody dared set foot for hunting, except members of the ruling clan.
At present, Mir Ali Murad Khan-II, the last ruler of the state at the time of its merger with West Pakistan, is patron-in-chief of Mehrano. Himself a wildlife lover, Mir Ali Murad-II was extremely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating conditions of wildlife in Sindh. This made him take personal interest in the matter. Therefore, in 1968, Mehrano was turned into Mehrano Private Wildlife Refuge solely to preserve and protect the vanishing species of wildlife. He also provided his services to the Sindh wildlife management from 1968 to 1994. During his tenure he took active interest in its conservation and made every effort to restore the dwindling stock of wildlife in Sindh. He initiated a detailed management plan by planting flora and fauna in the Mehrano Wildlife Reserve area and thus was able to create a conducive atmosphere which increased the capacity of not only preserving wildlife, but also rehabilitating the forest hitherto lost to agriculture activities.
Mehrano also has hog deer, which otherwise would have been extinct by now due to the fact that they were being mercilessly slaughtered by cruel poachers.
