THE NATIONAL PARK OF PALUNG MOUNTAIN IN WEST KALIMANTAN

Gunung Palung National Park (TNGP) is a national park located in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan, about 30 minutes flight from Pontianak. The area of this national park is 90,000 hectares, which lies in North Matan Subdistrict, Sukadana, Simpang Hilir, Nanga Tayap, and Sandai.

The National Park Office of Gunung Palung is determined based on the Decree of the Minister of Forestry Number: 6186 / Kpts-II / 2002 dated June 10, 2002 on the Organization and Administration of the National Park Office based in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan . The area of Gunung Palung National Park has historically been designated as a nature reserve area through Staat Blaat No.4 / 13IB / 1937 dated 29 April 1937 with an area of 30,000 Ha. Then, through the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture No: 101 A / Kpts / VIII / 12/1981 dated on December 10, 1981 the area of Gunung Palung National Park was changed to 90,000 Ha by pointing to forest group (expansion area) namely Kepayang Mountain, Seberuang Mountain, Sei Lekahan, Labuhan Batu and its surroundings with the status of the area changed to Wildlife Reserve of Mount Trench. At the 3 nd National Nature Conservation Week in Bali on 24 March 1990 the area was declared a National Park with an area of 90,000 ha through the Minister of Forestry Decree No. 448 / Menhut-VI / 1990 dated March 6, 1990.

Mount Palung National Park has an ecosystem that is said to be the most complete among the national parks in Indonesia. In the area there is Mount Trench which has a height of 1111 meters. In addition, Mount Palung National Park is also a habitat for approximately 2200 orangutans. Bekantan is the largest number of mammals in Mount Palung National Park.

Mount Palung National Park is one of nature conservation areas with high biodiversity, and various ecosystem types such as mangrove forests, swamp forests, peat swamps, freshwater swamp forest, tropical forests, and mountain forests that are always covered in fog .

This national park is the only Dipterocarpus tropical forest of the best and the largest in Kalimantan. Approximately 65 percent of the area, is still a primary forest that is not disturbed by human activity and has many communities of plants and wildlife.

Like other areas of West Borneo, this area is generally covered by jelutung (Dyera costulata), ramin (Gonystylus bancanus), resin (Agathis borneensis), pulai (Alstonia scholaris), rengas (Gluta renghas), ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri), Bruguiera sp ., Lumnitzera sp., Rhizophora sp., Sonneratia sp., The strangler fig, and medicinal plants.

The Plant that is  unique in this national park is the black orchid (Coelogyne pandurata), which is easily seen on the Matan River, especially in February-April. The attractiveness of black orchids is seen in the form of flowers marked with green with a combination of black spots in the middle of the flower, and the blooming time between 5-6 days.it is Noted that there are 190 species of birds and 35 species of mammals that act as a plant seed dispenser in the forest. All bird families and most  of  bird species present in Borneo, are within the forest of this national park.

The animals that are often seen in the National Park of Mount Palung are bekantan (Nasalis larvatus), orangutan (Pongo satyrus), four-legged striped (Lariscus hosei), deer (Muntiacus muntjak pleiharicus), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus euryspilus), macaca nemestrina Nemetrina), klampiau (Hylobates muelleri), lemurs (Nyticebus coucang borneanus), rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros borneoensis), mouse deer (Tragulus napu borneanus), jungle (Gallus gallus), ivory hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil), crocodile siamensis ), Ivory turtles (Orlitia borneensis), and the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). something that is  interesting is the existence of walnut squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis) which  is very rare, and difficult to see.