Ujung Kulon National Park is situated in the southern
most tip of Java. It comprises of Ujung Kulon peninsula and several offshore
islands and embraces the natural reserve of Krakatoa. Ujung Kulon National
Park is home to several endangered plants and animals including Javan
rhinoceros which is an endangered species. Ujung Kulon National Park
spreads over 1,206 square kilometer most of which lies on a peninsula reaching
into the Indian Ocean.
Ujung Kulon National Park lies on the extreme south-western tip of Java
within the administrative province of Java Barat (West Java) and the Kebupaten
of Pandeglang.
Ujung Kulon is a triangular peninsula protruding from the south-west
extremity of mainland Java, to which it is joined by a low isthmus some
1-2 km wide. The topography is dominated in the south-west by the three
north-south aligned ridges of the Gunung Payung massif, with the peaks of
Gunung Payung, Gunung Guhabendang and Gunung Cikuja forming the highest points
on the peninsula. To the north-east, the relief attenuates to the low rolling
hills and plains of the Telanca Plateau, and ultimately to the low-lying swamps
in the region of the isthmus. To the east, the Gunung Honje massif forms the
mainland component of the park. Coastal formations include a number of raised
coral islands and their associated fringing reefs which lie off the northern
coast of the peninsula, the largest of these being Pulau Handeuleum. To the
south, the coastline is characterized by sand dune formations, areas of raised
coral reef, and further west a long stretch of undermined and shattered
sandstone slabs. Extensive coral reefs and spectacular volcanic formations
occur along the exposed and broken west coast.
Geologically, Ujung Kulon, Gunung Honje and Pulau Panaitan are part of a
young Tertiary mountain system, which overlies the pre-Tertiary strata of the
Sunda Shelf. Lying on the edge of the tectonically active Sunda Shelf, Krakatau
Nature Reserve comprises the central island of Anak Krakatau (child of
Krakatau), and the peripheral islands of Rakata, Payang and Sertung with their
surrounding coral reefs. These peripheral islands form the remnants of a single
volcano ('Ancient Krakatau') which exploded and collapsed some 1,500 years ago
leaving three remnant cones.
Vegetation has been subject to a number of anthropogenic and natural
modifications, of which the most notable is the Krakatau eruption of 1883. As a
result, primary lowland rainforest, the natural vegetation cover, now occupies
only 50% of the total area, being largely confined to the Gunung Payung and
Honje massifs.
A tall closed canopy forest occurs on Gunung Payung, on Pulau Peucang;
vegetation of the Telanca Plateau and central lowlands is a more open secondary
forest. Occurring along the northern promontory of Ujung Kulon near Tanjung,
alang-alang is a seasonally inundated freshwater swamp forest. Mangrove forest
occurs in a broad belt along the northern side of the isthmus, extending
northwards as far as the Cikalong River, as well as to the north of Pulau
Handeuleum and on the north-east coast of Pulau Panaitan. Beach forest occurs
on nutrient-poor sandy ridges on the north and north-west coasts of Ujung
Kulon.
Ujung Kulon is the last remaining viable natural refuge for Javan
rhinoceros; Javan tiger was locally extirpated about 40 years ago. Other
notable mammals include carnivores, such as leopard, wild dog (dhole), leopard
cat, fishing cat, Javan mongoose and several civets. Of the primates, the
endemic species Javan gibbon and Javan leaf monkey occur locally along with the
endemic silvered leaf monkey, while crab-eating macaque is found throughout the
park. Several ungulates range within the park, of which the largest and most
abundant is banteng. A rich avifauna is present with over 270 species recorded.
Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians include two species of python, as well as
two crocodiles and numerous frogs and toads. Green turtle is known to nest
within the park.
The rich coral reefs of the Ujung Kulon coast are dominated by a small
number of species that make up some 90% of the coral mass; the marine areas of
Ujung Kulon support some of the richest fish fauna in the archipelago, with
both deep water and reef species well represented.
Pulau Panaitan has a Ganesha statue on the summit of Mount Raksa, an early
Hindu archaeological relic from the 1st century AD, and the island is thought
to have been an important staging post for sailing ships passing through the
Sunda Straits. Captain James Cook is known to have anchored HMS Endeavour
on the south-eastern side of Panaitan Island from 6-16 January 1771.
Historical Description
Pulau Panaitan/Pulau Peucang Nature Reserve was established in 1937 under
Decree No. GB/17/Stb1/420, Ujung Kulon Nature Reserve in 1958 under Decree No.
48/kpts/Um/4/58 and Gunung Honje Nature Reserve established in 1967. The
complex was declared a national park in 1980. Krakatau was notified as a nature
reserve in 1921 and incorporated within the national park in 1983.Species
The species listed below represent a small sample of iconic and/or IUCN Red Listed animals and plants found
in the property. Clicking on the number in brackets next to the species will
reveal other World Heritage Properties in which a species has been identified.
These species are identified in an effort to better communicate the biological
diversity contained within World Heritage properties inscribed under criteria
ix and/or x.
- Aonyx cinerea / Oriental small-clawed otter
- Arctictis binturong / Binturong
- Bos javanicus / Banteng
- Centropus nigrorufus / Sunda coucal
- Cervus timorensis / Rusa deer
- Crocodylus porosus / Estuarine crocodile
- Cuon alpinus / Wild dog or dhole
- Herpestes javanicus / Javan mongoose
- Hylobates moloch / Java gibbon
- Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus / Grey-headed Fish-eagle
- Leptoptilos javanicus / Lesser adjutant
- Lutra lutra / Common otter
- Macaca fascicularis / Crab-eating macaque
- Megalaima javensis / Black-banded barbet
- Muntiacus muntjak / Barking deer
- Mycteria cinerea / Milky stork
- Nycticebus coucang / Slow loris
- Panthera pardus / Leopard
- Pavo muticus / Green peafowl
- Presbytis comata / Javan surili
- Prionailurus bengalensis / Leopard cat
- Prionailurus viverrina / Fishing cat
- Pteropus vampyrus / Large flying fox
- Python molurus / Asiatic rock python
- Rhinocerus sondaicus / Javan rhinoceros
- Tomistoma schlegelii / False gharial
- Trachypithecus auratus / Javan lutung
- Trachypithecus cristatus / Silvered leaf monkey
- Treron capellei / Large green-pigeon
- Varanus salvator / Common water monitor
1. http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=608
2. http://www.dephut.go.id/INFORMASI/TN%20INDO-ENGLISH/tn_ujungkulon.htm
