Location: East Java Map
Area: 250 km²
Baluran National Park is a nature reserve in East
Java island in Indonesia. Baluran National Park covers an total area
of 250 km². The park presents the natural complex of the acacia
savannah, mangroves, tropical volcanic steppes with rare vegetation
are located around the volcano. In addition, in the reserve there is
a lake containing sulfur.
The flora of this reserve is represented by a large number of
cereals, for example, Alang-Alang. Also, the flora includes umbrella
white acacia, various types of prickly blackberries and creepers,
tamarind, coral tree, Unabi tree, as well as various palm trees.
The park is the owner of 26 species of mammals and 155 species of
birds. The fauna of the reserve includes a large number of
carnivorous mammals such as mongoose, palm civet, leopard, marten,
red wolf, as well as wild bull-banteng and many different species of
monkeys.
Among the birds of this reserve, one can distinguish a striped
Streptopelia, a rhinoceros bird, a large number of parrots, wild
hens, Javanese peacock and many others. Common reptiles are netted
and dark snakes, Russell's viper, cobra, and brown boiga.
The park presents a natural complex of acacia savannah, mangrove thickets, tropical flat steppes with rare vegetation are located around the volcano. In addition, there is a lake in the reserve that contains sulfur.
444 species of plants have been documented in the park, including
some species in danger of extinction, such as: Ziziphus rotundifolia,
Tamarindus indica, Dioscorea hispida, Aleurites moluccanus and Corypha
utan.
The park houses 26 species of mammals including endangered
species such as the banteng, cuón, muntíaco de la India, cervo ratón de
Java, gato pescador, leopardo y lutung de Java.
The population of
bantengs has decreased from 338 in 1996 to solo in 2012.
Species
of birds in the park include the real green peacock, gallo bankiva,
crown hornbill, rhinoceros hornbill and marabú menor. Until 2010 there
were 155 species of birds documented in the park, but in 2012 an
ornithological photography competition was held, the number of species
196 was revised.
The area has been protected since 1928, first by the Dutch hunter A.
H. Loedeboer. In 1937 it was declared a wildlife refuge by the Dutch
colonial government. In 1980 it was declared a national park.
La
caza furtiva es una gran amenaza a la vida salvaje del parque,
especially en lo que se refere a la decreciente población de bantengs.
According to ProFauna Indonesia, not only the natives of the area but
also the military have been seen involved in furtivism.
The
Acacia nilotica has occupied at least six thousand hectares of savanna
in the Baluran National Park and has made it difficult for the banteng
to find food. In 2013, solo quedaban 35 bantengs, while in 1996 there
were still 320.