BATANG GADIS NATIONAL PARK

Appointment base:

Minister of Forestry Decree

Number: 126/Kpts-II/2004

Dated 29 April 2004

Total area:

108,000 ha

Location:

Province of North Sumatra; District of Mandailing Natal

Coordinate:

00°30’ - 01°02’ N and 99°13’ - 99°50’ E

Batang Gadis National Park is one of the wildlife habitat center in the biodiversity corridor of Sumatra. This area is expected to be a hybridization zone for unique animals in the southern, northern and eastern parts of Sumatra since it has become a home to a number of threatened species due to loss of their habitat.

The name of Batang Gadis is taken from the name of main river which separates this area.  This river is a vital source of water to support communities’s life and economic activities, particularly for agricultural sector.

HISTORY OF THE AREA

Batang Gadis National Park is a group of some state forests that have been designed since Dutch era:

• Protection Forest Register 4 Batang Gadis I, groups I, II and III  (1921);

• Protection Forest Register 5 Batang Gadis II, groups I and II (1921);

• Protection Forest Register 27 Batang Natal I (1924);

• Protection Forest Register 28 Batang Natal II (1924);

• Protection Forest Register 29 Batahan Hulu (1924);

• Protection Forest Register 36 Batang Parlampungan I (1924);

• On the initiatives of community and local government, the Minister of Forestry changed the functions of these protection forests to Batang Gadis National Park in 2004.

PHYSICAL CONDITION

Geology

This area is passed by the Great Sumatran Fault Zone, particularly fault zones of  Batang Gadis - Batang Angkola - Batang Toru. It is an active volcanic area and the soil is very susceptible to erosion.  Geologically, this area is sensitive to disaster.

Topography

Batang Gadis National Park is situated on the Bukit Barisan mountains in which the physiography of the lands are hills and mountains with the elevation of 300 - 2,145 m asl, with highest peak is Mount Sorik Merapi.

Climate

The type of climate is A (according to Koppen classification).

BIOTIC

Ecosystems

Batang Gadis National Park represents a group of ecosystems of tropical rain forests including:

• Sub ecosystem of lowland tropical rain forest;

• Sub ecosystem of highland tropical rain forest;

• Sub ecosystem of volcanic land.

Flora

It is estimated that there are 225 species or about 1% of vascullar plant species in Indonesia can be found in this area.  The following are the plant species in which some of them are endangered and protected species such as rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii), pitcher plant (Nepenthes sp.), meranti merah (Shorea sp.), bania tanduk (Shorea sp.), suren (Toona sureni), damar laut (Shorea utilis), kapur (Dryobalanops sp.), agathis (Agathis sp.), and other lesser-known species.

Fauna

Up to now, there are at least 42 mammal species with their status as follows:

• Threatened globally: 8 species (1 critically endangered, 2 endangered, 5 vulnerable);

• Protected: 22 species;

• Included in the CITES list: 20 species.

And 247 bird species with their status as follows:

• 7 species threatened globally (1 critically endangered, 6 vulnerable);

• 12 species near treathened;

• 16 migrant species;

• 47 protected species;

• 14 endemic to Indonesia (6 endemic to Sumatra).

Mammal

Such as sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa diardi), asian-wild dog (Cuon alpinus sumatrensis), tapir (Tapirus indicus), serrow (Capricornis sumatraensis sumatraensis), sambar deer (Cervus unicolor equinus), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak montanus), siamang (Hylobates syndactylus syndactylus), yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula), and sumatran sun bear (Helarctos malayanus malayanus).

Bird

Such as schneider’s pitta (Pitta schneideri), salvadori’s pheasant (Lophura inornata) - endangered and endemic of Sumatra, sumatran ground cuckoo (Carpococcyx radiceus viridis) - rare species, black baza (Aviceda leuphotes) - migratory species, and sumatran peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron chalcurum). There are also 10 Sumatran hornbill species found in this area.

Reptile-Amphibi;

Such as king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), blood python (Python curtus curtus), pope’s pit-viper (Trimeresurus popeurum barati), brown kukri snake (Oligodon purpurascens purpurascens), variable red snake (Calamaria lumbricoidea), and gliding gecko (Ptychozoon homalocephalum); horned frog (Megophrys monticola nasuta) and ceicilian (Ichtyopis glutinosa) - an amphibian species with no legs. 

There are also insect species found in the area such as Anoplophora amoena and Drupadia ravindra.

RECREATION

Interesting places within the national park:

1. Mount Sorik Marapi; which has a big volcano and beautiful scenery with sulphur natural thermal springs in it, and also the beauty biodiversity of very old flora (hundred years old) situated in the lower part of the mountain.

2. Natural caves; with their stalagtite and stalagmite ornaments. There are also caves from Japan administration era, as part of historical site.

3. Sopotinjak; with fantastic natural views of the surrounding area.

4. Sibanggor village; is one of the recreation objects that can be visited.  Here we can see traditions of Mandailing communities with their traditional houses which most of the roofs made from ijuk (palm). There are many interesting cultural recreation at Batang Gadis National Park, such as unique traditional customs, annual traditional festival, and Mandailing traditional clothes.

HOW TO GET TO THE LOCATION

The national park can be reached from West Sumatra and North Sumatra Provinces. The access routes are:

• Medan - Panyabungan - Batang Gadis National Park, for about 12 hours by car.

• Padang - Panyabungan - Batang Gadis  National Park, for about 6 hours by car.

MANAGEMENT

The national park is a new national park and the management is conducted by Balai  Taman Nasional Batang Gadis as a Technical Management Unit of the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation, Ministry of Forestry.

OFFICE

Balai Taman Nasional Batang Gadis

Jl. Willem Iskandar, Kelurahan Pidoli Dolok Panyabungan,

North Sumatra Province

Phone : +62-636-321375

Fax.  : +62-636-321670