Source : Bernama.com, 13 Sep2005
By : Zabidi Ishar
  

Nevertheless, for nature lovers, the tiredness will turn into excitement the moment they set foot at the village. Besides its uniqueness as an Orang Asli colony of the Jakun tribe, Kampung Peta also serves as a "stopover" to nature enthusiasts wishing to explore the scenic and natural setting of the untouched "treasure trove" rainforest at the national park, acclaimed as the world's oldest.

The 49,999ha "national treasure", estimated to be centuries old, is blessed with diverse flora and fauna and lush greenery in its natural setting, be they the surrounding hills or the crystal-clear water from river tributaries running through the dense forest.

The Endau-Rompin National Park at Kampung Peta is one of the six national parks in Johor. The other five are Johor Endau-Rompin National Park at Kampung Selai, Johor Tanjung Piai National Park, Johor Pulau Kukup National Park, Johor Gunung Ledang National Park and Johor National Park in Pulau Mersing.

All the parks are run by the Johor National Parks Corporation.

Abdul Aziz Mohd Top, Endau-Rompin National Park manager says the park was placed under the corporation's purview in 2001. Earlier, the park, opened to the public in 1993, was managed by the Nature Lovers' Society which used it for forest research.

BASIC AMENITIES

Since the takeover by the corporation, several basic amenities were built for tourists and visitors' convenience including chalets at Kampung Peta.

Last year, some 6,000 tourists, of whom 40 percent were foreigners from Singapore, France, the Netherlands, the United States and Japan visited the park, he said. Some of the foreign tourists were repeat visitors.

He says upkeep of the park is handled by more than 40 employees who manage three main components -- office complex, nature education and research centre and interior accommodation at Kuala Jasin.

The distance between the office complex to the research centre is about 3km and about 10km to the accommodation spot.

The national park is also a "blessing in disguise" for the Orang Asli community in the remote Kampung Peta as they are employed as maintenance workers while the English-speaking are engaged as guides for foreign tourists.

"I see they take their job seriously and are a crucial asset to the park," he says.

Visitors to the park can also have the rare opportunity to "savour" the day-to-day living of the Orang Asli in Kampung Peta and learn their distinct cultures, traditions and customs like how to handle a blowpipe.

ENVIRONMENT STUDY CENTRE

On the Nature Education Study Centre, Aziz says the centre, opened by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman on March 24, 2001, serves as a study centre of the natural environment at the park.

"A researcher who is an expert in flora and fauna has been posted to the centre which has so far identified 179 species of butterflies living in the park including the rare species like Mangrie Crow (Eupolea dioletiunus) and Blackveined Tiger (Danaus melanipprenegesippus) which cannot be found in other parts of the globe.

Apart from having Internet linkage, the centre is equipped with a computer laboratory and has a satellite-linked public telephone.

Besides endowed with scenic natural landscape and unique flora and fauna, the Endau-Rompin National Park also has a peculiar attraction -- two high-quality timber trees of the "jelutong" and "Durian Bujur" species, one aged 300 years and the other 100 years.

The height of the jelutong tree is approximately 60ft while its circumference is about "five embraces of an adult person" while the durian tree is estimated to be 40ft and circumference some 10 embraces.

With the cooperation of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), an Etnobotany Park has been created at the national park, to house more than 200 species timber and herbal saplings for research work. The species are kulim, mata ulat, kedondong, gergaji, kempas, keranji kuning, meranti, ramin pipit, setanggi, patah tulang, tudung periuk, senduduk putih, pisang som, kepayang air, pakis bendera and siantan air trees.

HERBAL PLANTS

Aziz says there are many more herbal plants at the national park whose local names are not known though they are being used by the Orang Asli for medicinal properties.

Timber and herbal plants aside, the national park is also "home" to more than 3,000 species of orchids while the river tributaries are a hit among anglers as they are "rich" in diverse species of fish in the likes of kelah, patung, bagoh, kawan, sia, sebarau, kelisa, keli, baung, toman and tengas.

Nonetheless, not all rivers at the park are accessible to anglers as the corporation had designated only certain zones are open to the public while several rivers like Sungai Marong and Sungai Jasin have been gazetted as fish-breeding areas.

No matter how eager to fish in these areas, anglers "can only see but cannot touch" the kelah fish swimming freely in the two crystal-clear water rivers.

In yet another conservation measure, visitors intending to fish in the river tributaries at the park must get a permit by paying RM50 for every fishing rod.

Aziz warns trespassers to be careful as the national park is also being watched by policemen and the Wildlife and National Parks Department rangers to check on unlawful activities.

He also cautions visitors -- they are not allowed to bring out any forest products or derived by-products from the park.

FOREST INTRUDERS

He says the arrest of two men from a neighbouring country who encroached into the national park to smuggle out fragrant wood latex early last year should serve as a deterrent.

Besides scavenging for fragrant wood latex, the two intruders is suspected to have shot at a leopard. The leopard, though injured, managed to flee but was caught by the wildlife rangers and sent to the Melaka Zoo for treatment.

"Don't think we don't know what's happening inside the forest. If someone tries to sneak in discreetly, all "gifts of mother nature" at the park will try to alert us," says Aziz, adding the two foreigners were nabbed after the rangers heard "unusual cries" of the birds as though their natural habitat was under threat.

Poachers and intruders are liable to be charged under several sections of the Johor National Park Enactment 1989. For instance, fishing in prohibited zones can be charged under section 29 (2) of the enactment, which carries RM5,000 maximum fine or six months' jail or both, upon conviction.

Aziz also reminds researchers to forward their applications to conduct research in advance and must produce research specimens to the authorities. Samples of specimens must be shown as proof of research.

"We are very strict in this matter because this "forest treasure", a God's gift, is very precious. This priceless heritage must be passed on to the next generation in its original setting," he says.

The scenic lush greenery in its natural formation at the Endau-Rompin National Park ought to be valued and appreciated by every nature lover.

However, it is quite difficult for the park to woo more nature lovers so long there are no efforts to build a "decent" road to link Kampung Peta to the outside world.

Currently, the only way for outsiders to get to the village is by four-wheel-drive vehicle from Kahang town. The 50km-odd journey is indeed taxing.