Endau Rompin being identified in 1976-1980 the 3rd Malaysian Plan as the proposed site for the second National Park in peninsular Malaysia. This place is poorly explored, not much scientific information has been obtained then. Moreover at that time this patch of lush forest is also going through on heavy logging activities.
On Apr 30,1985 Dr Kiew who was being appointed as the expedition leader lead a few others went in to select a site for the base camp. To officiate this Heritage Scientific Expedition with only Rm10,000 initial funds from MNS. On June 2 1985, our first PM Tunku Abdul Rahman flagged off 3 vehicles from his residence to Endau Rompin for this Herritage Scientific Expedition. This marked officially the start of the Scientific Heritage Expedition. As the news spread contributions of cash in kind, canned food, toiletries, useful tools and as well as loan 4WD pours in to facilitates this big nation expedition. Over the one year (1985-1986), the base camp is constantly being flood in by peoples. Scientist, school children, universities students and many more volunteers to conduct short and long-term experiment, nature photography and collecting specimens of fungi, soil, rocks and as well as listing of animals that can be found in Endau Rompin being lead by some appointed expedition leader/scientist.
Today this Endau Rompin National Park is covering an area of 48,906 hectars or 800 sq. km. It is one of the few remaining lowland forest in Malaysia. As one travelled on the Jeep Track (56km from the Kahang Park office) leading to the Park in Kg Peta, you would noticed that a long stretch of oil palm plantations, secondary forest, Orang asli settlements at kampung Peta. This remote orang asli (aboriginal) settlement in Johor are the Jakun or could refer as orang hulu. This National Park have rocks formation dating back in 248 million years, it comprises of some sandstone plateu, waterfalls, rivers (selai, Jasin & Endau), pristine rainforest, secondary forest and a heath forest, rubber tree plantations. Endau-Rompin is mostly hilly with some prominent sandstone plateaus. It also happens to be the watershed of several rivers such as Endau River, Selai River and Jasin River.
Botanists have found many new species of flora and fauna along the stream and on the nearby hills in Endau-Rompin National Park. The most spectacular of the discoveries of this endemic fan palm species Livistona Endauensis which seems to dominating plants on the plateau of Gunung Janing Barat. Others interesting plants is the walking stick palm Phychorapis Singaporensis. Besides this is also have many varieties of toadstools/fungi, orchids, herbs and medicinal plants.
More details about this place can be found at Important Bird Area Factsheet at.
For Region pls choose Asia and Country Malaysia, then look at Endau Rompin.
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites/index.html?ction=SitHTMDetails.asp&sid=16013&m=0
What are the interesting site.
Part of Endau-Rompin's attraction is that the park is intrinsically tied up with numerous legends and myths handed down through the years. One such legend is that of Upeh Guling, which is located midway to the Buaya Sangkut waterfall. This Buaya sangkut waterfall got his name from the Orang Hulu Legend of it used to lived a crocodile above the waterfall. One day it went down river and it was stuck and trapped by rocks.
The heath forest is sill consider a mystical/scared place by the orang hulu. It could be they realised that the vegetation in the heath forest is much different. Heath forest is a type of tropical moist forest found in areas with acidic, sandy soils that are extremely nutrient-poor. For such conditions you would notice dominated by trees of small trunk diameter or stunted plants. For such low nutrient soil the carnivorous Pitcher plant is the best surviving plants.
Sungai Kinchin and Sungai Kemapan is the fishing ground if you are interested in fishing. Padang Tujuh is the site of vast varieties of bonsai trees, where Kelapa Gading Cave which is 25 metres high, is situated in the midst of a waterfall.
How to get there.
As this National Park is only established recently the road access to it (about 56Km) is not a nice roads compare to out 1st National Park. For Endau Rompin there are two entry points to the park kampung peta and Kampung Selai. It is preferably arranged 4WD transfer to the park from the Park Office, this is due to the rough stretch of 56km would be too much to be bear by a normal car. The 4WD would travel along the dirt tracks that is used to be the old logging track pass by rubber, oil palm plantations, orang asli settlement. This rough journey on the road takes 2 hrs.
by own vehicle
Use the North South Highway exit at Ayer Hitam, proceed and follow the road direction to Kluang/Mersing. That would leads you to Kahang town which is the midway to Mersing.The Endau Rompin National Sign Board would leads you to the Park office at 11, Jln Bawal 1. Tmn Kahang Baru. 86700 Kahang, Kluang. Johor Tel: 07-7882812 Fax 07-7882813 which is on the ground floor of a 2 story shop lot. Entry permit and registration need to done at this park office.
If you are driving on the highway with the speed of 80/90 kmph from Sg Besi toll to Ayer Hitam would takes 3.5 hrs. Ayer Hitam to Kluang - 40 mins and from Kluang to Kahang - 45 mins.
by Train
From Kuala Lumpur Sentral Train Station, there are daily train stops at Kluang. Prior arrangement need to be made with the Park staff to transfer you to the national park.
Accomodation
There is no other accomodation beside what is being provided by the Park. There are a few types of accomodations to suit everyone. You can choose from dormitory, family chalet, standard chalet and camping.
My trips reports
Day One 7/6/2008
The journey from KL to kahang park office was a smooth one despite the weather condition is not a very promising for field trip. At 10:09am while all of us in the trip leader's car car dwell in a deep conversation. Suddenly a loud "pupppf" sound... OOps the windscreen start to crack into a fish net/spider's web design.. This was due to a small stones hit the windscreen. The driver is going through a little bit pressure then as the view is very much obscure. He quickly slow down the speed to 50/60km per hr. Anyhow we managed to make our way safely to the park office at Kahang. Once reached there I quickly walked into the park office to request assistance from the park staff to source out which nearby shops that this about to shattered windscreen can be replaced. To my surprise I saw a familiar face the park manager whom I first met in year 2005 at Hutan Lagenda another site of the Johor Park which he previously was based. Unfortunately there is no car workshop that would be open until Monday in this small town.
After a quick lunch and registration all 24 of us are were assigned to five 4WD to transfer us to the National Park. It rained very heavily through out the 2 hrs journey. The jeep track (laterite road) was wet and slippery for sure can't be accessible by the normal vehicles. It continues to pour even when we reached the park. I do recall all of them very excitely got down to step on this 2nd national park once we reached there even though it was raining very heavily except 3 person. I'm one of them. Through this journey I have learn how important to pack our clothings into a plastic bag before re-pack it inside the luggage bag due to the condition of the road that this 4WD have to go, it may have have loosen certain parts. This would enable rain water to sip through. A few of our teammates ended up having wet clothings. The humidity of this forest may need longer time to dry up the wet clothings.
This is the toilets and bathroom meant for the dormitory, area for female and male. NO hot shower but in terms of cleanliness I can rate it "A+".Every bed space in the dorm are equip with a locker. This remind me of my school days where I stay in a hostel for a period of time.If exploring nature is not your cup of tea and you discoverd it is too late to turn back cause definitely you cannot trek back 56km back to the main road. This civilised domestic cat could be your playmate. The canteen takers have a few more others for your choice. :- I found this creature crawling on the road. Moth do comes by as well.. This I found it resting at the window of our dorm.
Kak Noor found this while she had a walk to the orang hulu settlements. Beside this she saved a river terrapin from the cooking pot by purchasing it and later releasing it at a safer place.
The 1st day we are having free and easy programme. Even though it is still raining many of them could not wait to get out to the field to clock their lifers and see more birds. Some put on the raincoat and umbrella walking up and down with their binoculars. I'm not afraid to get wet after the most unforgettable experience I had when I trek down from mount kinabalu a few years back. I do recall that day it rained very heavily the trail seems to be a small ravine, slippery. I wore 2 layer of clothings and pants as well as I have my rain-coat on. I was still shivering in cold then. Nowadays it is the equipments that I lug around my camera could not withstand rains, therefore I find a nice shelter spot to wait for birds to come by. I noticed this..AAArh what do you all think it should be ?
I noticed this Saraca (Gapis) tree blooming, there are 2 spp of Spiderhunter seems to frequent here (Grey Breasted Spiderhunter, Little Spiderhunter).By position myself at that shelter, I have Little Spiderhunter, Ruby Cheeked Sunbird, Cream Vented Bulbul, Yellow Bellied Flowerpecker, Scarlet Minivet (a flock of them), Leafbird spp, Oriental Magpie Robin, Grey Breasted Spiderhunter.
Rained seems to subside, I started to venture out. I noticed this Yellow-Breasted Flowerpecker feeding on this big fruit. When they feeds on a smaller berry they would pick it up in their beak and squeeze out the juice and they will discard the skin away. For a berry in this size it takes a small nibble at a time.
Another small nibble. It takes it time enjoying it's meal.
Day two 8/6/2008
I was suddenly awake at about 5am. I heard someone said this statement " The Buffy-Fish Owl is there.. ". I quickly grab my pair of spectacles, my birding gears still in my pyjamas rush to the site. Buffy Fish Owl perched majestically on a branch. This is my second sighting of a Buffy-Fish Owl, unfortunately the lightings is too low for me to capture any record shot of this owl.
This is one of the spot at NERC. NERC would be open only after it is fully furnished. We likes the environment here. We told the park manager that we would be coming back again but he have to arrange to accomodate us at NERC.
After we walked away from that spot, we heard of a faning sound (the flight sound of a hornbill). We saw it landed and perched. We all scaned through... Aaarhh I found it .. it is here.I have a a quick look at it's casque.. and then I look at it's eyes OOOps why is so different, the eyes suppose to be red or whitish ..the casque should be long. I quickly pronounce out "Rhinoceros" to my teammates.
Well we have a short discussion about this sightings with a few pair of binoculars looking at it..
And the conversation sound something like this. Definitely is not the Great cause it does not have the wing bands.. Oriental Pied maybe.. Huh.. Oriental Piep Hornbill in this big size ? Ok maybe Oriental Pied.. but in here ?
Suddenly an Adult Rhinocerous Hornbill fly in to attend to this juvenile. We witness the Male Adult bird regurgitating berry one by one to this juvenile.
And he appeared, I could not believe myself that I can called out bird..
After lunch we trek out again. I wonder what are the rest of my team mates starring at. OOh a Black and Yellow Broadbill feeding it. Female Cuckoo normally would carry their egg to drop into some spp nest and before they do that they would destroy their host nest. They would fool their host to raise their youngs as themselves. (Brood-parasitism).
To know more about brood-parasitism click on below url
http://besgroup.talfrynature.com/category/brood-parasitism/
Another look at it..
For this Cuckoo photos I should thank Dr Fong's wife for allowing me to stand at her spot.
After this Indian Cuckoo flew off.. I saw a Green Broadbill. I pointed to my teammates.. Green Broadbill..
After a good bath, we all met up at the dinner table. For tonight I eating whatever I pack along, I'm "chicken out" by yesterday chicken menu.. :-) . After dinner we sat down to share our sighting .. We have a total of 99 spp saw and heard..Someone saw Red-Billed Malkoha... AAAArh I wish I'm at the spot and wish to photograph it as well.. Well I have to be contented with my lifer "White Hooded Babbler".
6 comments:
interesting write up but where did you get the introduction part from?
I read from books, source information from internet, gather pieces of informations from the park staffs. I also have personaly steps my feet on Upeh Guling - the natural Bath Tub, see it myself the endemic fan palm, walking stick palm and some wild herbs plants
I can see you moving slowly into a new hobby - Reporting
Shall I re-direct you to Stephen?
Great effort & Excellent report
:-) a reporter ? I get sack in no time cause my written english is bad. Luckly career in IT does not required good perfect english cause we use such command ren, mv, rm, userdel, useradd, admintool...
ha ha! great write up!! made me want to try this place next time.
irfan choo
Hi Ifran & Nora,
:-) Endau Rompin National Park indeed welcome your presence.. But..but do bear in mind that this place you cannot finish exploring in just 1 trip.
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