Dak Lak (VNA) – Vietnam now has its 37th national park following the establishment of Ea So National Park in the central province of Dak Lak, a move aimed at strengthening the conservation of a unique and largely intact natural habitat.
Ea So National Park, located in Ea Knop commune, covers a total natural area of 26,959 hectares. It was established by upgrading the former Ea So Nature Reserve, under Decision No. 2366/QD-UBND recently issued by the provincial People’s Committee on July 28.
Of the park’s total area, the strictly protected zone covers 21,676.92 hectares (80.41%); the ecological restoration zone accounts for 4,118.60 hectares (15.28%); and the administrative and service zone makes up 1,163.49 hectares (4.31%).
The park’s buffer zone comprises 18 villages and hamlets across five communes in Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces, covering 18,229.06 hectares.
Under the above-said decision of the provincial People’s Committee, Ea So National Park will focus on conserving characteristic forest ecosystems and rare, endemic and priority-protected plant and animal species. It will also maintain the integrity of its natural forests, promote natural forest regeneration, develop native and rare plant species, and increase forest coverage for sustainable biodiversity management.
The park will focus on conserving characteristic forest ecosystems and rare, endemic and priority-protected plant and animal species; maintaining the integrity of its natural forests; promoting natural forest regeneration and restoration; enriching forest resources; developing native, endemic and rare plant species; and increasing forest coverage in association with sustainable biodiversity management.
Ea So National Park will also strengthen watershed and environmental protection, regulate water resources for irrigation, and help mitigate erosion and flooding. It is expected to provide a stable water supply for downstream production and daily life, while promoting scientific research, environmental education and public awareness of biodiversity conservation. It is designed to help improve livelihoods and living conditions of local people, especially ethnic minorities living in the buffer zone.
The park is considered a valuable natural “gem”, preserving a unique habitat at the transition between the vast forests of the Central Highlands and the south-central coastal region. Its evergreen tropical forests are interspersed with extensive grasslands that remain humid year-round, a rare ecosystem in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
This habitat provides ideal conditions for ungulates, particularly banteng (Bos javanicus) and gaur (Bos gaurus). The area is home to 789 vascular plant species belonging to 494 genera and 148 families, including 22 species listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2025 and 23 species included in Vietnam’s 2024 Red Data Book.
At least 30 mammal species from 15 families and six orders have been recorded in the area. These include six primate species, eight carnivorous species, seven even-toed ungulates and seven rodent species. Among them, 12 species are listed as endangered and 21 are included in Vietnam’s 2024 Red Data Book. Notably, five are critically endangered species, including silvered langur, Sunda pangolin, striped civet, silver-backed chevrotain (mouse-deer) and banteng.
The rugged terrain of the Ea So forest, shaped by millions of years of geological processes, has also created numerous waterfalls, rapids and steep cliffs, forming a spectacular and pristine natural landscape on the Dak Lak Plateau./.
