Sembilang National Park

Sembilang National Park; 06/03/2011;South Sumatra Province; 202,896.31 ha;1°57'S,104°36'E Sembilang National Park supports a unique estuarine environment which has the largest mangrove formation in East Sumatra, along the western part of Indonesia. The site also supports coastal forest, lowland tropical forests, swamps, and peatlands. This site is biologically rich with over two hundred species of birds, one hundred forty species of fish and over fifty mammal species. Many of these species are threatened such as the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), and the endangered Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Storm's Stork (Ciconia stormi), and Malayan Giant Turtle (Orlitia borneensis). Over 43% of the mangrove species in Indonesia are also found here. The mangroves and large alluvial delta at Sembilang National Park makes this site one of the critical stopover areas for migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Some 0.5-1 million shorebirds use this area and during winter and almost 80,000-100,000 migratory birds feed and rest here. It supports more than 1% of the population of Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea), Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), Spotted Greenshank (Tringa guttifer), Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) and the Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus). It has one of the largest breeding colony of Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea) in the world, and one of the largest breeding colony of the Spotted-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) and Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) in Indonesia. The swamps and peat forests act as container areas to store freshwater, this in turn recharges the ground water table that feeds seventy small rivers in the park. Threats to the site include illegal logging and encroaching development (e.g. harbour and industrial estates). The Ministry of Forestry, Directorate General of Protection and Nature Conservation has jurisdiction over this site. Ramsar site: 1945. Most recent RIS information: 2011.

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