| Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location in Myanmar | |
| Location | Kani andMingin Townships,Sagaing Division,Myanmar |
| Coordinates | 22°23′N94°25′E / 22.383°N 94.417°E /22.383; 94.417 |
| Area | 541.6 mi2 (1,403 km2)[1] |
| Established | 21 July 1893 as Patolon Reserved Forest, 1941 as Alaungdaw Kathapa Wild Life Reserve |
| Governing body | Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division |
Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park is anational park inMyanmar covering 541.6 mi2 (1,403 km2). It was established in 1989 and is listed as one of theASEAN Heritage Parks.[1] It spans an elevation of 443–4,380 ft (135–1,335 m) in theKani andMingin Townships inSagaing Region.[2]
In 1893, this mountainous area between theChindwin andMyittha Rivers was declared a reserved forest and selectivelylogged forteak. It was little disturbed when surveyors of theFood and Agriculture Organization and theUnited Nations Development Programme visited it in the early 1980s, who were invited by the Government of Myanmar to assist in identifying suitable areas for national parks and nature reserves. In 1984, they proposed to establish a tract of 1,606 km2 (620 sq mi) as Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park.[3] Its name honours a legendary monk who lived there in historical times. The national park wasgazetted in 1989 and demarcated with an area of 617 km2 (238 sq mi).[2] Its actual area reported by Myanmar's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation is 541.6 km2 (209.1 sq mi).[1]
Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park harbours foremostmixed deciduous forest,evergreen forest andpine forest with 165 tree species and 39 species ofmedicinal plants.[4]
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus),gaur (Bos gaurus),Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus),sun bear (Helarctos malayanus),dhole (Cuon alpinus),sambar deer (Cervus unicolor),Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak),wild boar (Sus scrofa),Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) andblack giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) were sighted during atransect survey in January 1999.[5] The elephant population was estimated at between two and 41 individuals in 2003, based on dung surveys conducted over three years.[6]Wildlife recorded during acamera trap survey in 1999 comprisedyellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula),Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus),large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha),small Indian civet (Viverricula indica),hog badger (Arctonyx collaris),crab-eating mongoose (Herpestes urva),leopard (Panthera pardus),Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) andleopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).[7][8]
In 2000, the bent-toed geckoCyrtodactylus annandalei was discovered in the national park and described as a new species in 2003. It issympatric withCyrtodactylus slowinskii.[9]Oriental leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus bowringii),Brooke's house gecko (H. brookii),common house gecko (H. frenatus),Indo-Pacific gecko (H. garnotii) andflat-tailed house gecko (H. platyurus) also live in the national park.[10]
