Dilijan National Park

 sanctuary, invisible, national park, wildlife protection/conservation

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Dilijan National Park (Armenian: Դիլիջան ազգային պարկ) or Dilijan Sanctuary (Armenian: Դիլիջանի Արգելանոց) is one of the five national parks of Armenia. Occupying an area of 240 km², it is located in the north-eastern Tavush Province. It is known for its forest landscapes, rich biodiversity, medicinal mineral water springs, natural and cultural monuments, and extensive network of hiking trails. The national park stretches over the slopes of the Pambak, Areguni, Miapor, Ijevan (Kaeni) and Halab mountain ranges. The flora of Dilijan National Park includes 902 species of vascular plants, namely Lycopodium (1 species), Horse-tails (1), Ferns (12), Gymnosperms (7) and Angiosperms (881). About 40 rare species of plants occur in this territory. 29 species of the flora are registered in the Red Book of Endangered Species of Armenia and 4 in the Red Data Book of the USSR. The fauna of the national park is also rich. There are about 800 species of beetles as well as numerous species of reptiles (Viper - Vipera lebetina, Armenian and Dahl lizards - Darevskia armeniaca, D. dahli etc.), amphibians (lake frog - Rana ridibunda, green toad - Bufo viridis etc.), fish (trout – Salmo fario, barbel or Kura beghlou- Barbus lacertacyri etc.). Birds are also abundant represented by 150 species including black grouse (Tetrao mlokosievicsi), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), bearded eagle (Gypaetus barbatus aureus), Caspian snowcock (Tetraogallus caspius) and others. Over 40 species of mammals are registered in the national park such as red deer (Cervus elaphus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), fox (Vulpes vulpes), lynx (Lynx), wolf (Canis lupus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), wild cat (Felis silvestris), roe (Capreolus capreolus), badger (Meles meles), squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) and others. Dilijan National Park is important for the conservation of forest landscapes, recreation and health protection purposes, as well as economic activities due to the presence of favorable conditions. Dilijan National Park was established in 2002 on the basis of the state nature reserve, which in its turn was established in 1958 on the basis of the former Dilijan and Kuybishev forest enterprises. The territory of the newly established national park has stayed unchanged. The change of the status of Dilijan State Reserve to Dilijan National Park was conditioned by several objective reasons, such as inevitability of commercial activity in the area, presence of numerous settlements, including Dilijan town with its mineral water resorts, Yerevan-Ijevan railway line passing through its whole territory and others. Currently, the general plan of the national park is under development, including the clarification of the borders and mapping of economic, recreational and buffer zones of the national park. Between 2017 and 2018, significant redevelopment of the park's tourism offer was undertaken, including the rehabilitation of the existing ecotourism trail network, together with the addition of an 80 km-long section of the Transcaucasian Trail.