Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park saw a rare flock of 1,000 storks migrating to the forest. (Photo: VNA) There are 934 different species of plants, along with 42 species of mammals,203 bird species and 53 reptile species that have been recorded across thepark’s area of 30,000 hectares.
It is also in the Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park that scientists found thenepenthes thorelii, or Thorel pitcher plant, which was thought to have beenextinct for 100 years and is now classified as an endemic species.
The park also saw a rare flock of more than 1,000 storks migrate to the forestlast summer. There haven't been many flocks of this size that stayed at thepark for an extended period of time.
To protect this rare flock of storks, the park’s management board has closelymonitored the situation and arranged patrols and provide guidance to minimisenoise and negative effects on the birds, said Pham Xuan Thanh, director of thepark’s Centre for Education and Forest Environment Services.
Several other rare animals residing in Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park include theblack-shanked douc langur, the Indochinese silver langur, the sun bear, the redwolf, and the small loris, as well as the stump-tailed macaque, the lesseradjutant, the grey-cheeked tit-babbler, among others.
In addition to wildlife rescue, the park’s Department of Conservation Scienceand International Cooperation also takes care of several pheasants and Indianpeafowls for research and educational purposes.
Thanh told Nong nghiep (Agriculture) newspaper: “We are not only working toconserve the existing species but also receive rescued wildlife, taking care ofthem and releasing them back to nature at Lo Go - Xa Mat.”
The national park also offers a wide range of activities for visitors,including sightseeing around the signature forest habitats, cycling along a24km route through the woods, and learning about the wartime Central Office forSouth Vietnam, which was based in the forest area.
Thuy, one of the 30-people group travelling to Lo Go - Xa Mat said: “Life is fullof hustle and bustle, so being in the forest calms us down and lets us immerseourselves in nature.”
Having walked through 10km in the national park, Bich Hong is still full of energy and excited about theexperience.
She said: “This is the first time I've visited Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park.It's an eco-tourism spot that still keeps its natural values.
“I hope that the park’s staff will always maintain these naturalcharacteristics.”
According to Au Phuoc Quy, chief of the local forest rangers, the national parkis better protected thanks to tourism activities.
He said: “Forest rangers are always on patrol even without eco-tourism. But inaddition to law enforcers, the daily presence of dozens of visitors alsodiscourages potential criminals and helps detect wrongdoings.”
Since the locality boosted tourism to the national park in 2016, forestviolations have witnessed a significant decrease and are not as alarming as inthe past.
The People’s Committee of Tay Ninh province has also approved two projects oneco-tourism and on developing the buffer zone of Lo Go - Xa Mat National Parkin the 2023-30 period.
The objective is to invest and effectively utilise the tourism potential of thearea, while also preserving its natural values and ecological environment.
Lo Go - Xa Mat National Park expects to welcome 40,000 visitors per year by2023, which is estimated to bring in 52 billion VND (2.2 million USD) in annualrevenue./.
VNA
