Way Kambas National Park
Way Kambas National Park covers 1,256 sq km in Lampung province, South Sumatra, and was established to protect wild Sumatran elephants.
By ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
With photo contributions from Pamela Q. Reblora and Filiberto A. Pollisco, Jr.
Vegetation in Way Kambas National Park (2015) by Filiberto A. Pollisco Jr.ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
It is representative of the lowland forest ecosystem consisting of freshwater swamp forest, meadow grass, and coastal forests in Sumatra.
Way Kambas National Park is significant for conservation because it contains most of Sumatra’s wildlife despite its small size, including critically endangered wildlife.
Elephants (2015) by Filiberto A. Pollisco Jr.ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
These include the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), and Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).
Baby Sumatran Rhino (2016) by Pamela Q. RebloraASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
The park is home to the Sumatran rhino, the only two-horned rhino of the Asian species. In the 90s, it was home to around 40 rhinos – one of three surviving populations in Indonesia. The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary is a breeding centre to help ensure the survival of the species.
Trees in Way Kambas National Park (2018) by Filiberto A. Pollisco Jr.ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
Plant species found in the park include api-api (Avicennia marina), Sonneratia, palm (Nypa fruticans), gelam (Melaleuca leucadendron), salam (Syzygium polyanthum), mire (Glochidion borneensis), almond (Terminalia cattapa), and sea pine (Casuarina equisetifolia).
The park is a popular site for birdwatching.
It is one of the ultimate night-birding sites in Asia because of the great variety of rare species and the relative ease of finding them. It is by far the most reliable areas in the world for large frogmouth, Bonaparte’s nightjar, Sunda frogmouth, and white-winged duck.
Way Kambas National Park is one of the project sites of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity's Small Grants Programme, a joint initiative with the Federal Government of Germany through the KfW. This project aims to promote biodiversity conservation and the improvement of livelihoods of communities within and around the ASEAN Heritage Parks.
Learn more about Way Kambas National Park
ASEAN Heritage Parks
ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs) are protected areas of high conservation importance that provide valuable contributions to safeguarding ecosystems and biodiversity.
AHPs provide a window to the world, showcasing a wealth of biodiversity that is uniquely ASEAN.
With photo contributions from Pamela Q. Reblora and Filiberto A. Pollisco, Jr.
