ABOUT TAMAN NEGARA
Taman Negara or The National Park
is located in the state of Pahang Malaysia. It lies
4 and 5 north of the equator within the headwaters
of three river system; the Tembeling in the south,
the Trenggan in the east and the Relai-Aring-Labir
in the north and received rain throughout the year,
around 2,200mm(lowland) and 3,800mm(mountain). Temperature
during the day is average at 26 and at night 22 Celsius.
The national park or Taman Negara
is one of the oldest tropical rain forest in the world.
It is older than the jungles of Congo or the Amazon.
Its lush tropical forest dates as far back as 130
million years.
In 1925, an area of 9,240 hectares
surrounding Tahan mountain was gazetted as a Tahan
Mountain Game Reserve by the British authority. Then
in 1939, it was declared a National Park, through
the states of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu under
an enactment in 1938/9. It was named King George V
National Park, named after the King of England. After
independence in 1957, it was named Taman Negara. The
creation of this park was due largely to the persistence
of one man, Theodore Hubback, Chief Game Warden of
what was then the Federated Malay States. He pestered
the colonial government relentlessly for 15 years
until the region was set aside for conservation in
1938. His enthusiasm was carried on by subsequent
state and federal governments, and by the Department
of Wildlife and National Park. Now, it covered a total
of 4,343 sq km, seven times the size of Singapore.
TAMAN NEGARA IN BRIEF
Size: 4,343 sq km
Highest Point: Gunung Tahan (2,187
meters)
Flora Fauna: Over 10,000 species
of plants, 250 kind of birds. Local mammals include
mouse deer, barking deer, wild ox, and numerous monkey
species. Tapir, elephant, leopard and tiger also present,
though not easy to spot.
Activities: Jungle-trekking, guided
nature walks, Night Jungle Walk, Canopy Walk, White
Water Rafting, Rapids Shooting, Caving, Mountain Climbing,
Plant Spotting, Fishing, Swimming, Wildlife Watching,
Bird Watching, Photography and Scientific Explorations.
