Growing concern persists over Ujung Kulon National Park
Growing concern persists over Ujung Kulon National Park
Text and photos by PJ Leo
UJUNG KULON, West Java (JP): Mention Ujung Kulon, meaning
literally the western tip, and you call to mind the habitat of
the single-horned Javan rhinoceros (rhinoceros sondaicus). As the
forest in Ujung Kulon is home to rare flora and fauna, it remains
a reserve area on the island of Java which is one of the most
densely populated islands in the world.
In 1992, the Ujung Kulon area was officially made Ujung Kulon
National Park, a forest area of 120,551 hectares. As there are
only a few places like Ujung Kulon remaining in the world, the
same year Ujung Kulon National Park was honored by the United
Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), as a natural world heritage site. With this status
Ujung Kulon has enjoyed an international reputation. For most
people though, Ujung Kulon is synonymous with the Javan rhino.
"Many of the tourists visiting Ujung Kulon National Park not
only enjoy themselves on the beach but also go into the forest to
see the Javan rhinos," said Arif Tongkagie, head of the
conservation section of Ujung Kulon National Park.
"Visitor noise does affect the lives of various animals in
this area," he added.
However, a nearby tourist disagreed with this. He said the
noise made by tourists visiting Ujung Kulon National Park is not
the only thing that has disturbed the animals in this area.
"Electrical power generators owned by plush cottages on
Peucang island, which is in fact a long way from the habitat of
the Javan rhinos, are operational 24 hours a day. The sound they
produce must in a way disturb the lives of the animals in this
nature reserve," said Robert, (not his real name).
PT Wanawisata Alamhayati, which manages cottages on Peucang,
Handeuleum and Taman Jaya islands, should pay more attention to
this matter, because Peucang island belongs to the area of Ujung
Kulon National Park. This is especially the case considering that
the management's board members include former high-ranking
officials from the Ministry of Forestry.
"As businessmen in the tourism area, they (the management)
should help conserve Ujung Kulon. What have they built very
luxurious and air-conditioned cottages and other facilities for?
They should have, instead, built cottages conforming to the
natural condition in this area, for example cottages in the form
of wooden stilted houses with bamboo-plaited walls and thatched
roofing that the locals usually live in, with the beautiful rural
panorama in the background.
"There would be no electricity and illumination would depend
on kerosene lamps. So, the noisy electrical power generators
would not be needed," repeated Robert, an environmental lover.
The sound of the electrical power generators is only slightly
audible in the cottage area, but a little further into the forest
on Peucang island, it is possible to hear the noise resonating in
your ears. Indeed, PT Wanawisata Alamhayati has intentionally
placed the electrical power generators deep in the forest area so
that their noise will not disturb the guests in the cottages.
Peucang and Handeuleum islands are favorite tourist sites in
Ujung Kulon National Park. Both offer beautiful natural scenery,
beaches of white sand and a pristine sea.
The Directorate General of Nature Protection and Conservation
from the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations, which is assigned
to manage Ujung Kulon National Park, should be able to exercise
tighter control over the area.
This is particularly the case with respect to the presence of
cottages within or outside of the national park because the
community has expressed their alarming concern for the nature
reserve. They hope that Ujung Kulon National Park will continue
to have a pristine sea, clean beaches of white sand, various
sounds of animals from the forest area and, of course, the Javan
rhinos themselves.
Their concern is not unreasonable. In an attempt to lure
visitors, a growing number of hotels and tourist resorts are
being established closer to the national park, as their owners
capitalize on Ujung Kulon's world-renowned reputation.
Unfortunately, these practices place Ujung Kulon on the verge of
a dangerous predicament.
An example of this is Kertamukti village, located in the
buffer zone of the national park, where PT Buana Bintan Sumadra
has built its Ciputih Beach Resort Hotel. Similarly, in Taman
Jaya village, located in the neck area of Ujung Kulon and
bordered by the forest habitat of the Javan rhinos, businessmen
from Jakarta have appropriated the land up to the seashore.
While the construction of hotels and other amusement places
continues, a road leading to Ujung Kulon National Park from the
Sumur subdistrict to Taman Jaya village, has simply been ignored.
All parties are helpless with regard to repairing the road, which
is littered with large potholes.
"If you go along this road in the wet season, you will feel as
if you were taking part in the Paris-Dakar rally," said Muksin, a
driver at Ujung Kulon National Park.
Text and photos by PJ Leo
UJUNG KULON, West Java (JP): Mention Ujung Kulon, meaning
literally the western tip, and you call to mind the habitat of
the single-horned Javan rhinoceros (rhinoceros sondaicus). As the
forest in Ujung Kulon is home to rare flora and fauna, it remains
a reserve area on the island of Java which is one of the most
densely populated islands in the world.
In 1992, the Ujung Kulon area was officially made Ujung Kulon
National Park, a forest area of 120,551 hectares. As there are
only a few places like Ujung Kulon remaining in the world, the
same year Ujung Kulon National Park was honored by the United
Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), as a natural world heritage site. With this status
Ujung Kulon has enjoyed an international reputation. For most
people though, Ujung Kulon is synonymous with the Javan rhino.
"Many of the tourists visiting Ujung Kulon National Park not
only enjoy themselves on the beach but also go into the forest to
see the Javan rhinos," said Arif Tongkagie, head of the
conservation section of Ujung Kulon National Park.
"Visitor noise does affect the lives of various animals in
this area," he added.
However, a nearby tourist disagreed with this. He said the
noise made by tourists visiting Ujung Kulon National Park is not
the only thing that has disturbed the animals in this area.
"Electrical power generators owned by plush cottages on
Peucang island, which is in fact a long way from the habitat of
the Javan rhinos, are operational 24 hours a day. The sound they
produce must in a way disturb the lives of the animals in this
nature reserve," said Robert, (not his real name).
PT Wanawisata Alamhayati, which manages cottages on Peucang,
Handeuleum and Taman Jaya islands, should pay more attention to
this matter, because Peucang island belongs to the area of Ujung
Kulon National Park. This is especially the case considering that
the management's board members include former high-ranking
officials from the Ministry of Forestry.
"As businessmen in the tourism area, they (the management)
should help conserve Ujung Kulon. What have they built very
luxurious and air-conditioned cottages and other facilities for?
They should have, instead, built cottages conforming to the
natural condition in this area, for example cottages in the form
of wooden stilted houses with bamboo-plaited walls and thatched
roofing that the locals usually live in, with the beautiful rural
panorama in the background.
"There would be no electricity and illumination would depend
on kerosene lamps. So, the noisy electrical power generators
would not be needed," repeated Robert, an environmental lover.
The sound of the electrical power generators is only slightly
audible in the cottage area, but a little further into the forest
on Peucang island, it is possible to hear the noise resonating in
your ears. Indeed, PT Wanawisata Alamhayati has intentionally
placed the electrical power generators deep in the forest area so
that their noise will not disturb the guests in the cottages.
Peucang and Handeuleum islands are favorite tourist sites in
Ujung Kulon National Park. Both offer beautiful natural scenery,
beaches of white sand and a pristine sea.
The Directorate General of Nature Protection and Conservation
from the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations, which is assigned
to manage Ujung Kulon National Park, should be able to exercise
tighter control over the area.
This is particularly the case with respect to the presence of
cottages within or outside of the national park because the
community has expressed their alarming concern for the nature
reserve. They hope that Ujung Kulon National Park will continue
to have a pristine sea, clean beaches of white sand, various
sounds of animals from the forest area and, of course, the Javan
rhinos themselves.
Their concern is not unreasonable. In an attempt to lure
visitors, a growing number of hotels and tourist resorts are
being established closer to the national park, as their owners
capitalize on Ujung Kulon's world-renowned reputation.
Unfortunately, these practices place Ujung Kulon on the verge of
a dangerous predicament.
An example of this is Kertamukti village, located in the
buffer zone of the national park, where PT Buana Bintan Sumadra
has built its Ciputih Beach Resort Hotel. Similarly, in Taman
Jaya village, located in the neck area of Ujung Kulon and
bordered by the forest habitat of the Javan rhinos, businessmen
from Jakarta have appropriated the land up to the seashore.
While the construction of hotels and other amusement places
continues, a road leading to Ujung Kulon National Park from the
Sumur subdistrict to Taman Jaya village, has simply been ignored.
All parties are helpless with regard to repairing the road, which
is littered with large potholes.
"If you go along this road in the wet season, you will feel as
if you were taking part in the Paris-Dakar rally," said Muksin, a
driver at Ujung Kulon National Park.