Orangutans Tanjung Puting National Park
You may not
believe this after you have been there only one day or two days or, but after
the third or forth day something happens. You are captivated completely by the
purity of the air, the openness of the night sky with the most remarkable view
of the Milky Way, the magnificence and dignity of the gentle orangutans, the
thundering downpours that instantly cool the air, and the clarity of the
brilliant crimson sunsets. Tanjung Puting is the largest and most diverse
protected example of extensive coastal tropical heath and peat swamp forest
which used to cover much of southern Borneo.The area was originally declared as
a game reserve in 1935 and a National Park in 1982. While the Park has checkered
history of weak protection, nonetheless, it remains substantially wild and
natural.
Tanjung Puting is
covered by a complex mosaic of diverse lowland habitats. It contains 3,040 sq
km2 of low lying swampy terrain punctuated by blackwater rivers which flow into
the Java Sea. At the mouth of these rivers and along the sea coast are found
Nipa/mangrove swamps. Mangroves teem with animal life. Tanjung Puting also
includes tall dry ground tropical rain forest, primarily tropical heath forest,
with a canopy of 40 meters (120 feet) with "emergents" exceeding 50
meters (150 ft) in height, seasonally inundated peat swamp forest with peat in
layers two meters deep, open depression lakes formed by fire, and open areas of
abandoned dry rice fields now covered with elephant grass and ferns. The
tropical heath forest which is called "kerangas" in parts of Borneo,
is only found on very poor, typically white-sandy soils and is characterized by
medium-sized trees.
The best known
animals in Tanjung Puting are the orangutans, made famous through the efforts
of Orangutan Research and Conservation Program, which is based at the landmark
Camp Leakey research station. Tanjung Puting also boasts the bizarre looking
proboscis monkey with its "Jimmy Durante" nose as well as seven other
primate species. Clouded leopards, civets, and Malaysian sun bears cavort in
the park as do mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, and the wild cattle known
as banteng. Tanjung Puting hosts over 220 species of birds, including
hornbills, deep forest birds and many wetland species. Tanjung Puting is well
known for its "bird lakes" seasonal rookeries for a half a dozen
species of endangered waterbirds, including the only known Bornean nesting
grounds for white egrets. Tanjung Puting also has two species of crocodiles,
dozens of snakes and frogs, numerous threatened species, including the
fortune-bringing and highly endangered "dragon" fish also known as
the Arwana (bony- tongue). Among the most flamboyant of these animals are the
many species of colorful birds, butterflies, and moths found in the Park.
Tanjung Puting
sits on a peninsula that juts out into the Java Sea . The peninsula is low
lying and swampy with a spine of dry ground which rises a few feet above the
omnipresent swamp. Towards the north of Tanjung Puting is characterized by
gentle hills and gold- bearing alluvial plains. Maps of the region commonly
portray a ridge of mountains coming down into Tanjung Puting. This ridge does
not exist, in fact, nowhere does the altitude rise above 100 feet in Tanjung
Puting. Tanjung Puting is a veritable hothouse of ecodiversity. The diverse
habitat zones shelter slightly different fauna and flora providing a great
variety of microhabitats for plants and animals and thus, the opportunity for
many species to be present in close proximity. In a Bornean context, tropical
heath forest by itself is not representative of the largest trees, the tallest
canopy, or the most diverse ecosystem.Tropical swamp ecosystems are little
represented in protected areas throughout Southeast Asia but are omnipresent in
Tanjung Puting. In the peat swamp forest, many trees have stilt roots or aerial
roots as adaptations to frequent flooding. Aside from its remarkable biological
attributes, Tanjung Puting is highly important for the well-being of the
surrounding local human population. The wetlands provide vital ecological
services such as flood control, stream control regulation, erosion control,
natural biological filtration system, and seasonal nurseries for fish which are
the major source of local animal protein. Many of these services have an impact
well beyond the local area.
For instance, the
waters surrounding Tanjung Puting attract fishing vessels from many different
parts of Indonesia. In addition, local peoplebenefit from a great variety of
forest products including honey, waxes, aromatic woods, fibers for ropes and
cloth, medicinal plants, fuel oils, thatching materials, rattan, firewood,
incense, wild rubber, edible latexes, resins, natural pesticides, fungicides
and possible virocides. For the above reasons and many other reasons not noted,
Tanjung Puting is recognized as one of the most important and outstanding
provincial treasures in Kalimantan Tengah. The national government has also
made a strong commitment to protect the forest, its wildlife and to manage the
park wisely. Tanjung Puting has increasingly gained international prestige and
recognition. As a result, more and more visitors from throughout the world are
experiencing a fresh new outlook on nature and an appreciation of the tropical
rain forest which was humankind's original "Garden of Eden."
Tanjung Puting
is distinguished by the following
* blackwater
rivers with high acidity (pH 4.0 or less)
* pockets
of alluvial gold dust
* major
populations of wild orangutans, gibbons, dolphins and dugongs (manatee-like
animals that served as the source-material of mermaid stories) in Kumai Bay
* major
populations of refuging monkeys, proboscis monkeys and macaques which come to
he river to sleep in the trees at night
* large
populations of hornbills, primarily including the rhinoceros, pied and black
hornbills which are the most commonly seen
* rookeries
containing thousands of breeding wetland birds including darters, night herons,
white egrets, and lesser adjutant storks
* only
known populations of wood ducks in Kalimantan
* major
populations of pheasants including the Argus, black, and the crested and
crestless fireback pheasants major populations of birds of prey including the
crested serpent eagle, Brahminy kites, and falconettes
* major
populations of the endangered Dragonfish or Arwana, a "living fossil"
which supposedly brings good luck to its owners
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