Gunung Palung National Park
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| Gunung Palung National Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
| Location | West Kalimantan, Indonesia |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 900 km² |
| Established | 1990 |
Gunung Palung National Park lies in the kabupaten of Kayong Utara, in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, north of Ketapang and east of Sukadana. The park is notable for its diversity of habitat types, ranging from mangrove and freshwater swamp forest, to lowland alluvial (empran bench) forest, to mountane forest, and for its diversity of wildlife. It is one of only a handful of parks in the world where orangutans can be seen in the wild.
A research station (Cabang Panti) was established at the western foot of the main Gunung Palung mountains in 1985, and is owned and operated by the park management authority. Research there has contributed significantly to our understanding of Borneo forest biology.
Illegal, non-mechanized, 'hand logging' has been a problem in the park, especially from ca. 2000-2003. Recent initiatives by park authorities and NGOs (increased policing, monitoring by microlight, educational activities) have contributed to a reduction of illegal activities. The park was one of the key sites of the EU-funded Illegal Logging Response Center (ILRC, now continued in FLEGT).
The Park has enormous potential for ecotourism, and has a number of attractive sites for visitors.
