Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary, Sialkot: Birds, Access and Permits

Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wetland of about 5,400 hectares (13,000 acres) in Sialkot district, covering riverine land along the Chenab and its two tributaries, the Jammu Tawi and the Manawar Tawi, up to the border with Indian-administered Jammu. It lies roughly 20 to 25 km north and north-east of Sialkot city, near Head Marala. Researchers have recorded 110 bird species there, and the best time for birds is winter, from about November to February, when ducks and geese arrive from the north.

It is not a park with gates and ticket windows. It is a border-belt reserve with Rangers checkpoints and no visitor facilities, so how close you can get depends on current security rules. This guide covers what lives there, how access works, and when a visit makes sense.

Where is Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary?

The sanctuary sits in the Bajwat area, a stretch of low, flat land between the rivers north of Sialkot. The wider Bajwat area runs into Narowal district and covers about 19,450 hectares, with 84 villages and around 110,000 people. The sanctuary is the protected river habitat inside it.

Three rivers come down from Jammu and meet here before entering the pond above Head Marala: the Chenab, the Jammu Tawi and the Manawar Tawi. Around them are sandbanks, reed beds, marshes, small ponds and nullahs. A 60 km stretch of the area's northern and eastern edge is the border, which shapes everything about visiting.

Our Head Marala guide covers the headworks and the picnic side of the river.

What birds can you see at Bajwat?

A study by M. A. Bhinder, published in 2015, recorded 110 bird species in the sanctuary. Wagtails, pipits and their relatives were the most common family. The birds split into three rough groups.

Winter visitors

These are the reason to go. From late autumn, waterfowl and waders arrive from Central Asia and further north:

• Bar-headed goose, ruddy shelduck and common shelduck
• Northern pintail, mallard, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon and Eurasian teal
• Common pochard and tufted duck
• Great cormorant, grey heron and Eurasian coot
• Northern lapwing, common snipe, common redshank, greenshank and Eurasian curlew
• Citrine, grey and western yellow wagtails

A separate waterfowl survey of the Marala wetlands, carried out from October 2000 to September 2001, counted 58 migratory species on the Jammu Tawi, 47 on the Chenab and 43 on the Manawar Tawi.

Summer visitors and residents

In the hot months the mix changes to cuckoos, bee-eaters and wetland breeders such as the pheasant-tailed jacana, black-winged stilt and Indian spot-billed duck. Little egrets, Indian pond herons and red-vented bulbuls are there all year.

For other places to see birds in Punjab and beyond, see our birdwatching in Pakistan guide.

Which animals live there?

The sanctuary was set up to protect waterfowl and riverine mammals. The two most often named are hog deer, a small deer of tall grassland and river edges that is now scarce in Pakistan, and nilgai, the large blue-grey antelope. Both are shy and mostly seen at dawn or dusk, if at all. Do not plan a trip around seeing them.

Do you need a permit to visit Bajwat?

We could not find a published visitor permit system for Bajwat. The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department does not list visiting rules for it online, and there is no entry gate or ticket office.

What is clear:

• This is a border zone. The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department manages border-belt reserves under an agreement with the Punjab Rangers, and the Rangers control movement near the border. Expect checkpoints on the approach roads.
• Carry your CNIC and be ready to explain where you are going and why. Do not try to get close to the border itself.
• Foreign nationals should assume they will not be allowed into the border belt without prior permission, and should not go without checking first.
• Sanctuary rules apply. Hunting, firearms, damaging vegetation and polluting the water are all prohibited in Punjab's wildlife sanctuaries.
• Photography: a long lens pointed at birds is normal, but do not photograph checkpoints, Rangers posts or the Marala headworks structure.

For birdwatching or research access, the practical step is to contact the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department's office for Sialkot before you travel and ask what is currently allowed. The department's head office in Lahore lists its contacts on its official website. Arrange it ahead rather than turning up.

Is it safe to go near the border?

Pakistani birdwatchers and local families do visit the Head Marala and Bajwat side of the river. But the boundary with Indian-administered Jammu has seen cross-border firing at times of tension, and access can be shut without notice. Check the news before you go, follow whatever the Rangers tell you at the checkpoints, and turn back if you are asked to.

If you hold a foreign passport, check your own government's travel advice for the Pakistan-India border area, because travelling against it can void your insurance.

When is the best time to visit?

November to February is the best period. The winter ducks, geese and waders are in, the air is cool, and mornings on the river are at their best. December and January bring fog in the Punjab plains, which can make early starts slow and the light poor, so allow for a late-morning clearance.

March and October are transition months, with some migrants arriving or leaving.

July to September is the monsoon. The Chenab and the Tawi rivers flood in heavy rain, low ground goes under water and tracks turn to mud. It is not a good time to go.

Whatever the month, go early. Birds are most active in the first two hours after sunrise, and the heat by midday in April to June makes the plains hard work.

How to get there from Sialkot

There is no public transport into the sanctuary, so you need your own car or a hired one with a local driver who knows which roads are open. Head north from Sialkot towards Head Marala, about 23 km, then take local roads east into the Bajwat area, with checkpoints along the way. Bring water, snacks and binoculars, since there are no shops inside the reserve. For somewhere to sleep, our Sialkot hotels guide covers the city.

Is Bajwat worth visiting?

For a keen birdwatcher with binoculars, a winter morning and permission sorted out in advance, yes. It is one of the few large river wetlands in north Punjab, and the variety of ducks and waders in December and January is real.

For a family day out, no. There are no paths, viewpoints, toilets or food, and you may be stopped before you reach the good habitat. Head Marala, a short drive away, is the better choice for a picnic, and our Sialkot places to visit guide has more for a weekend. If you are looking for other nature and outdoor trips in Pakistan, see our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions