Way Kambas

Way Kambas, Elephant House Simultaneously Playground

 

Located at the southern tip of Sumatra, 110 miles from Bandar Lampung, Way Kambar is one of the oldest nature reserves in Indonesia. This location occupies an area of 1300 square kilometers of lowland around River Way Kambas.

Areas Way Kambas is home and playground for the elephants, as well as training centers. In the thicket of the park, there are approximately 200 Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranensis) that make this forest their home.

Sumatran Elephant is one of three subspecies that are recognized as the original Asian elephant and the island of Sumatra. In general, Asian elephant is smaller than the African elephant. Sumatran elephant elephant is the smallest of the elephants in Asia with a shoulder height ranges between 2 and 3.2 m.

Wild elephants in Sumatra can be found in the first eight provinces in Sumatra Island. But because the density of settlement and the shrinking of tropical rain forest vegetation has been difficult to estimate their numbers.

In 1978, Way Kambas National Park proposed to be a national park by decree while in 1989 and a decree in late 1997. Meanwhile, Way Kambas Elephant Training Center was formally established in 1985. Its location is situated 9 km from the entrance to Park Ijo signpost.

Elephant training center was established to protect the existence of elephants and create profits between elephants and humans. Elephants in Sumatra was once used by the empire that ruled in Sumatra for fighting vehicles and ceremonial purposes. You can see the elephants perform various tasks, such as carrying wood or plowing. They can also perform unique activities, such as playing soccer and other entertaining performances.

Inside the park there are also Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS), where the rhinos were introduced to the natural surroundings in the hope of running a successful captive breeding is done. Breeding center was established in 1995, covers 100 hectares of land which is used as the preservation, research, and education. In captivity there are five Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis), each of which is named Rosa, Queen, Bina, Torgamba, and Andalas who act as ambassadors for other wild rhinos. They also serve as a specimen for education and preservation.

Other mammals that live in this park, among other Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis), Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), tapir (Tapirus indicus), coyotes (Cuon alpinus sumatrensis), gibbon (Hylobates syndactylus syndactylus); 406 species of forest birds including ducks (Cairina scutulata), clothing lawe stork (Ciconia episcopus stormi), stork barrels (Leptoptilos javanicus), blue sempidan (Lophura ignita), pheasants (Argusianus argus argus), pecuk snake (Anhinga melanogaster). Various types of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects.

WKNP also is home to several plants, including fire-api (Avicennia marina), Pidada (Sonneratia sp.), Palm (Nypa fruticans), Gelam (Melaleuca leucadendron), salam (Syzygium polyanthum), mire (Glochidion borneensis), ketapang (Terminalia cattapa), sea pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), pandan (pandanus sp.), puspa (Schima wallichii), meranti (Shorea sp.), oil (Dipterocarpus gracilis), and ramin (Gonystylus bancanus). In the area around the Right Way, there are locations where you can observe various bird species.