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Aug 29 - 2022
Royal Belum
WHAT IS ROYAL BELUM
It is estimated that Belum Temenggor has been around for more than 130 million years, making it one of the oldest rainforests in the world, older than both the Amazon and the Congo. Tasik Temenggor, a man-made lake with a surface area of 15,200 Hectares and hundreds of islets, is located right in the middle of the forest. According to the Malaysian National Physical Plan, the area has been designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 and is a designated Important Bird Area by Birdlife International.
The Malaysian National Forestry Act will be used to protect the forest, which the Malaysian federal government has designated as a vital water catchment area and a component of Central Forest Spine. Despite this, only a portion of Belum Forest Reserve has been designated as a state park, leaving the remainder as production forest that is available for development. Particularly Temenggor is experiencing significant deforestation because to logging.
Environmental advocacy groups have urged the state and the federal governments to gazete the region as a park, including the Malaysian Nature Society and the World Wildlife Fund. The Perak state government, however, has fought the initiative, claiming that logging generates more than RM 30 million in revenue for the state. On May 3, 2007, 1,175 km2 of the Belum forest reserve were designated as a state park by the state government. Along the East-West Highway, there is a plan to transform natural woodland into plantation forest.
FLORA AND FAUNA
14 of the most endangered creatures in the world, including the Malayan tiger, Indian elephant, white-handed gibbon, Malaysian sunbear, and tapir, can be found in Belum-comparatively Temenggor's unspoiled forest. Seladang, wild boars, various species of deer, pythons, and cobras are among the other creatures.
As of 2019, the number of tigers in the Belum-Temengor Forest Reserve has decreased by nearly 60% over a period of 7-8 years, from about 60 to 23 owing to poaching and the depletion of prey.
Over 300 different bird species can be found in Belum Temenggor. The white-crowned hornbill, bushy-crested hornbill, wrinkled hornbill, wreathed hornbill, plain-pouched hornbill, black hornbill, Oriental pied hornbill, rhinoceros hornbill, big hornbill, and helmeted hornbill can all be found in this one and only remaining forest in Malaysia. Three types of the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, are among the 3,000 species of flowering plants that may be found in the forest.
