The Changa Manga is a planted forest and a wildlife park in Kasur District, Punjab, Pakistan.
Etymology
The name "Changa Manga" comes from the old story of two brother thieves, Changa and Manga, who used to hide in thick forests, along with their loots. Over the passage of time the stories have been molded into adventures that every child in that area is told, with added morals.
Forestry
The forest is entered from a road from off the N-5 Highway near Bhai PheruAnd Chunian . The forest covers an area of 48.6 square kilometres (12,000 acres)[1] 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 under 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.
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 deer, 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.
Changa Manga plantation 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.
Recreation
Parts of the forest have now been developed into a recreation park with a railroad that gives the visitor a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) ride on a miniature train through the forest. Other attractions include a water turbine, a waterfall, a children’s play area, and a lake called 'Lunar Lake', where boating is possible. Changa Manga Tourist Resort is situated 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Lahore city. The Tourist Development Corporation of Pakistan (TDCP) arranges picnic trips to Changa Manga throughout the year.
Deforestation
The world’s largest artificial forest is being heavily logged, and so far more than 60 percent of Changa Manga Wildlife Park has been deforested.
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