Papua's Wasur National Park a Paradise for Endemic Fauna

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua is known for its stunning nature both in the ocean and on the land. Wasur National Park is one of the tourist attractions the region has to offer. The conservation site is home to hundreds of unique Papuan endemic fauna species.

One of the famous ones is kangaroo. There are various endemic species of kangaroos there, including tree kangaroo which became the inspiration for the mascot of 2021 National Games Week in the region, or PON XX Papua. The character, called Kangpho, is described as a tree kangaroo that wears a tassel made of bark on its waist and a typical Papuan carving.

Wasur National Park also has wetlands that are essential for waterbirds in Indonesia and migratory birds to and from Australia and New Zealand. Usually, many of these migratory birds migrate to Wasur National Park in October to seek warmth.

Not only birds, various of fishes can also be found in Wasur National Park, such as banded archerfish, yellow snapper, and many others. As for reptiles, there are crocodiles, monitor lizards, Irian long neck turtles, chameleons, and many more.

In addition to the diverse fauna, it also offers a number of tourist activities. For example, bathing in the Biras Bathing Pool, camping at the Wasur National Park Campground, enjoying the sunset while boating or swimming at Ndalir Beach, fishing in Rawa Biru and buying handicrafts in Wasur and Yanggandur villages.

In terms of local wisdom, Wasur National Park offers cultural tourism of 4 indigenous tribes, namely Marori Men-Gey, Kanume, Yeinan and Malind Imbuti. The locals will perform dances and serve traditional dishes.

With a land area of 304,000 hectares, Wasur National Park is included in 4 sub-districts in Merauke Regency, Papua. It can be reached in about 30 minutes from the city center.

Read: Ujung Kulon National Park Off-Limits for Tourists for 14 Days

Ninis Chairunnisa | Maudey K. Setyakusuma