Mount Leuser National Park

If we go to Sumatra Island, we can visit one of tourism place such as Mount Leuser National Park. Mount Leuser National Park is one of the largest national parks in the world, containing over 800,000 hectares of virgin rain forest. The park is home to orangutans, gibbons, monkeys, elephants, tigers, and among the last of the Sumatra rhinoceros. There are research facilities for the study of primates, birds and insects, the orangutans rehabilitation center at Bukit Lawang being the most popular with tourists. The Leuser National Park of Mount Leuser is probably the wildest in Indonesia, located in Southeast Aceh. It can be reached from either Kutacane, or Takengon. Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam ( NAD) Province that consisted in Mount Leuser National Park , Southeast Aceh Regency, South Aceh, Aceh Singkil, Southeast Aceh, Gayo Lues, Aceh Tamiyang, whereas Sumatra Province that consisted in Mount Leuser National Park , Dairy Regency, Karo and Langkat. This national park has three functions : the life support protection system, the various conservation of kinds of plants and animals with their ecosystems, the use eternally biological sources & its ecosystem. This magnificent national park has a wealth of flora and fauna. The Leuser ecosystem has an enormous level of biodiversity. It contains at least 127 mammal species, including the Sumatran elephant, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros, and Sumatran orangutan. About 8500 different plant species grow in the beach, swamp, lowland, mountain and alpine ecosystem of the Leuser ecosystem of the 10.000 plant species recorded in the West Indo – Malayan region, 45% are found in the Leuser ecosystem. Spectacular plants such as Rafflesia ( the largest flower in the world ) and Amorphophallus ( the tallest flower in the world ) are among the plants protected there. The Leuser ecosystem is an outstanding wilderness in Aceh Northern Sumatra. It is one of the richest expanses of tropical rain forest in Southeast Asia. More than 2,5 million hectares in size, it is the last place on earth where elephants, rhinos, tigers, clouded leopards, and orangutans are found within one area. The first official statement of intent to protect the Leuser ecosystem was signed in 1934. The Leuser International Foundation ( a non-profit non-government organization )was established in the late 1990’s when the ecosystem was seriously under threat from illegal logging and wildlife poaching. Geographically, the Leuser ecosystem lies between 3-4,5 North and 96,5-98 East. It covers approximately 2,6 million hectares of tropical rain forest, encompassing 890.000 hectares of designated national park, as well as extensive areas of protection and production forest. The ecosystem contains two major volcanoes, three lakes, and nine major river systems that flow to the East and West coasts of the islands. Actually, it’s a collection of various nature reserves and forests ; Nature Reserve Kappi, Nature Reserve Kluet, Sikundur Langkat Wildlife Reserve, Ketambe Research Station, Singkil Barat and Dolok Sembilin. Most parts of the national park lie in the Southeast Aceh region, other parts are situated in the East Aceh region, South Aceh, and Langkat. Mount Leuser National Park comprises more than 100 kilometers of the Bukit Barisan Mountains. Because of that, the park consist of steep, almost inaccessible mountainous terrain. The altitude ranges from 0 meter, in Kluet ( South Aceh, to 3,381 meter, on top of the mount Leuser ( Southeast Aceh ). The Alas River cuts the park into an Eastern and Western half. Apart from mountains, we find several other ecosystems : beach forest, swamp areas, lowland rain forest. In Bukit Lawang is the orangutan Rehabilitation Station and in Ketambe stands the Ketambe research station. Mount Leuser consist of combination : Mount Leuser Widlife Reserve ( 416.500 hectares ), Kluet Wildlife Reserve ( 20.000 hectares ), West Langkat Wildlife Reserve ( 51.000 hectares ), South Langkat ( 82.985 hectares ), Sekundur Wildlife Reserve ( 60.600 hectares ), Kappi Wildlife Reserve ( 142.800 hectares ), Gurah Tour Park ( 9.200 hectares ), Limited Protection & Production Forest ( 291.707 hectares ). So, are you a true explorer ? Let’s prove it by yourself here.