National park status sought for

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.