Bijar Protected Area

Bijar Protected Area is located in Bijar County, Kordestan Province. Under Resolution No. 276 of the Supreme Council of the Environment, dated 1385/1/19 (April 8, 2006), it was designated a protected area covering 31,769 hectares and joined the areas managed by the Department of Environment.

Bijar Protected Area is home to many species of wildlife and has good vegetation cover. Roughly half of the area consists of land with a slope of less than 12%, and the rest is mostly hilly terrain. The minimum and maximum elevations of the area are 1,533 and 2,187 meters respectively. The vegetation of Bijar Protected Area is mainly of the rangeland type, and scattered shrubs such as almond, wild plum, daphne and cerasus can also be seen here. So far, 137 plant species have been identified in Bijar Protected Area. The plant Prangos, known locally as Jashir, is one of the newly identified species in the area.

The area also has many rivers and springs. The Qezel Ozan River, one of the highest-flowing rivers in Kordestan Province, runs through it. Like the Qezel Ozan, the Qamchoqa River is also one of the area's high-flow rivers. Haj Zagheh Si, Kaleh Shir, Seyyed Shahab and Qareh Bolagh are among its most important springs, which are vital to the area's wildlife in summer and autumn. More than 30 species of mammals, 140 species of birds and 20 species of reptiles have also been identified here. The most prominent animal species of the area is the Armenian mouflon (wild sheep), of which a considerable population lives here. Other notable species include wild boar, wolf, fox, hyena and more.