Endau Rompin National Park
Encyclopedia
Endau Rompin National Park is a protected tropical rainforest
in Malaysia. It is an area south of the state of Pahang
and to the northeast of Johor
covering an approximate area of 870 km², effectively making it is the second largest national park
in Peninsular Malaysia
after Taman Negara, with approximately 26 km of trail. It is the second national park proclaimed by the government of Malaysia.
The park is one of the oldest tropical rainforest complexes in the world and features rock formations some 248 million years old. Apart from that, the park contains the largest remaining population of the threatened Sumatran rhinoceros
species on the Malay Peninsula
. Gunung Besar which is the second highest in Johor is located in the park.
The park takes it name from the Endau
and Rompin
rivers that flow through the park. Other rivers that flow through the parks are Segamat
, Selai and Jasin.
During the monsoon season that covers from November till March, the park is closed to the public. Further, fishing is banned from September till October during mating season.
-Kluang
was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1933. Later in 1972, the forest reserve was expanded to include Lesong forest reserve in Pahang.
In the same year, the federal government came up with a proposal to federally protect 2,000 km² of the complex as a national park. At that time there was no legal mechanism to create a national park. In 1980, the National Parks Act 1980 (Malaysia)
was passed by the Malaysian Parliament. However, dispute between federal and state powers prevented the creation of a national park in the area at that time. Five years later, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks
proposed roughly the same areas to be gazetted as wildlife sanctuary to protect the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.
In the early 1980s, logging was a major concern in Johor. It was discovered in the decade that the logging had come up to the boundary of the forest reserve and threatened to devastate the area. The Malaysian Nature Society
, in an effort to promote public awareness surrounding the issue of Endau Rompin
conducted a scientific study in 1984 into the area, completely financed by the public. The expedition discovered 25 new species. In the same year, the government of Johor finally allowed 251.95 km² of the area to be gazetted as a national park. The national park was further enlarged after Pahang and Johor agreed to such action. In 1993, the Endau Rompin National Park was finally created with the total area of approximately 900 km² of forest cover.
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
in Malaysia. It is an area south of the state of Pahang
Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
and to the northeast of Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
covering an approximate area of 870 km², effectively making it is the second largest national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
after Taman Negara, with approximately 26 km of trail. It is the second national park proclaimed by the government of Malaysia.
The park is one of the oldest tropical rainforest complexes in the world and features rock formations some 248 million years old. Apart from that, the park contains the largest remaining population of the threatened Sumatran rhinoceros
Sumatran Rhinoceros
The Sumatran Rhinoceros is a member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although is still a large mammal. This rhino stands high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of ...
species on the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
. Gunung Besar which is the second highest in Johor is located in the park.
The park takes it name from the Endau
Endau River
Endau River is flows through the Malaysian state of Johor and empties to the South China Sea. The river is the namesake of Endau Rompin National Park which is located to the northeast of Johor....
and Rompin
Rompin River
Rompin River is a river in the Malaysian state of Pahang. It flows through the southeastern part of Pahang before emptying into the South China Sea....
rivers that flow through the park. Other rivers that flow through the parks are Segamat
Segamat River
The Segamat River is a river which flows within the District of Segamat, Johor, Malaysia which also flows through Segamat town center. The source of the river is at Gunung Besar which is located within Endau Rompin National Park and its confluence is at the Muar River.- History :The Segamat River...
, Selai and Jasin.
During the monsoon season that covers from November till March, the park is closed to the public. Further, fishing is banned from September till October during mating season.
History
The first scientific study of the area was conducted in 1892 by H.W. Lake and Lieutenant H.J. Kelsall. With the aid of the study, the forest complex of EndauEndau
Endau is a small town in Malaysia. It lies on the northern tip of east Johor and the southern tip of Pahang. It is famous as one of the largest fishing ports on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.Located north of Mersing...
-Kluang
Kluang
Kluang is a town and district located roughly in the middle of the state of Johor in Malaysia. Kluang lies about 110 km north of Johor Bahru, east-southeast of Batu Pahat, west of Mersing and south of Segamat...
was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1933. Later in 1972, the forest reserve was expanded to include Lesong forest reserve in Pahang.
In the same year, the federal government came up with a proposal to federally protect 2,000 km² of the complex as a national park. At that time there was no legal mechanism to create a national park. In 1980, the National Parks Act 1980 (Malaysia)
National Parks Act 1980 (Malaysia)
The National Parks Act 1980 is a Malaysian federal law that governs the creation and the maintenance national parks in Malaysia. It was created in 1980 during the controversy surrounding the protection of Endau Rompin forest complex...
was passed by the Malaysian Parliament. However, dispute between federal and state powers prevented the creation of a national park in the area at that time. Five years later, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks
Department of Wildlife and National Parks
In Malaysia, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, commonly known as PERHILITAN is a governmental organization that is responsible for the protection, management and preservation of wildlife and national parks in Peninsular Malaysia.The department was established under the Wildlife Protection...
proposed roughly the same areas to be gazetted as wildlife sanctuary to protect the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.
In the early 1980s, logging was a major concern in Johor. It was discovered in the decade that the logging had come up to the boundary of the forest reserve and threatened to devastate the area. The Malaysian Nature Society
Malaysian Nature Society
Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest and one of the most prominent environmental not for profit, non-governmental organizations in Malaysia. It was first established, as the Malayan Nature Society, with the launch of the Malayan Nature Journal, in 1940...
, in an effort to promote public awareness surrounding the issue of Endau Rompin
Rompin
Rompin is a small fishing village and township on the southern end of Pahang, Malaysia. It is located within the district of Rompin. The Rompin River flows through the town. The Endau Rompin National Park is partly situated within the Rompin district....
conducted a scientific study in 1984 into the area, completely financed by the public. The expedition discovered 25 new species. In the same year, the government of Johor finally allowed 251.95 km² of the area to be gazetted as a national park. The national park was further enlarged after Pahang and Johor agreed to such action. In 1993, the Endau Rompin National Park was finally created with the total area of approximately 900 km² of forest cover.
External links
- Johor National Parks Corporation - Official site
- e-Tourism Portal Virtual Malaysia