ABOUT TAMAN NEGARA
Taman Negara or The National
Park is located in the state of Pahang Malaysia.
It lies 4 and 5 north of the equator within the
headwaters of three river system; the Tembeling
in the south, the Trenggan in the east and the
Relai-Aring-Labir in the north and received rain
throughout the year, around 2,200mm(lowland) and
3,800mm(mountain). Temperature during the day
is average at 26 and at night 22 Celsius.
The national park or Taman Negara
is one of the oldest tropical rain forest in the
world. It is older than the jungles of Congo or
the Amazon. Its lush tropical forest dates as
far back as 130 million years.
In 1925, an area of 9,240 hectares
surrounding Tahan mountain was gazetted as a Tahan
Mountain Game Reserve by the British authority.
Then in 1939, it was declared a National Park,
through the states of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu
under an enactment in 1938/9. It was named King
George V National Park, named after the King of
England. After independence in 1957, it was named
Taman Negara. The creation of this park was due
largely to the persistence of one man, Theodore
Hubback, Chief Game Warden of what was then the
Federated Malay States. He pestered the colonial
government relentlessly for 15 years until the
region was set aside for conservation in 1938.
His enthusiasm was carried on by subsequent state
and federal governments, and by the Department
of Wildlife and National Park. Now, it covered
a total of 4,343 sq km, seven times the size of
Singapore.
TAMAN NEGARA IN BRIEF
Size: 4,343 sq km
Highest Point: Gunung Tahan (2,187
meters)
Flora Fauna: Over 10,000 species
of plants, 250 kind of birds. Local mammals include
mouse deer, barking deer, wild ox, and numerous
monkey species. Tapir, elephant, leopard and tiger
also present, though not easy to spot.
Activities: Jungle-trekking,
guided nature walks, Night Jungle Walk, Canopy
Walk, White Water Rafting, Rapids Shooting, Caving,
Mountain Climbing, Plant Spotting, Fishing, Swimming,
Wildlife Watching, Bird Watching, Photography
and Scientific Explorations. |
