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| Traditional Chinese | 大埔滘自然護理區 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 大埔滘自然护理区 | ||||||
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TheTai Po Kau Nature Reserve, also calledTai Po Kau Special Area, is anature reserve in theTai Po area of theNew Territories in northern Hong Kong.[1] The area comprises a dense, hilly woodland with over 100 species of trees and numerous streams and rivers. It is one of the most biologically diverse forests in Hong Kong. It is noted by theHong Kong Bird Watching Society and others as one of the best locations for seeing forest birds in Hong Kong.
Around a hundred years ago, the area was barren and deforested. A tree plantation aimed at afforestation was started by the government in 1926, initially consisting of mainly pine. Later on,Taiwan acacia,paperbark,camphor andBrisbane box were also planted. As decades passed, native trees likesweet gum andlitsea cubeba started to succeed the planted stock and today a large diversity of both native and nonnative trees grow on the hillsides here. The area was designated as a nature reserve in 1977.South China tigers were reported in the area by villagers into the early 20th century.
160 bird species, 102 butterfly species, and over 50 dragonfly species inhabit the reserve, along with numerousmammals andherpetofauna. The area is noted for its diversity of reptiles, specifically snakes. Common birds includecrested bulbul,chestnut-winged cuckoo,collared scops owl,black drongo andspotted dove. Rare mammals likeChinese pangolin andmasked palm civet can be found in the reserve. The exceptional biodiversity in Tai Po Kau is due to the maturity of the forest. It is the most expansive maturesubtropicalsecondary forest in Hong Kong at 460 hectares.
22°25′33″N114°10′52″E / 22.4257°N 114.1811°E /22.4257; 114.1811
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