National park status sought for

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya; The provincial forestry office has proposed the central government make the Wasur forests in Merauke district, a national park.

Kayat R. Sutaryo, the forestry office's chief, said in a letter to State Minister of Administrative Reforms TB Silalahi that the forest was the habitat of hundreds of precious animal and plant species.

Covering 413,810 hectares the Wasur forests are in the eastern part of Merauke district.

According to the Irian Jaya branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature, 419 bird species live in the area but researchers had so far been able to collect relevant data on only 239 of them. Of the latter number, 74 existed only in Wasur, Sutaryo was quoted by Antara as saying.

The area was also home to 80 mammal species, 27 of which were found only in Irian Jaya while its unique plant species included palms, orchids and sago.