Baiyer River Sanctuary, Protected nature reserve in Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.
Baiyer River Sanctuary is a protected nature reserve covering 740 hectares of rainforest terrain across the Western Highlands region. The site spans elevations from 800 to 1200 meters and features river valleys, forest corridors, and wildlife rehabilitation facilities integrated throughout the landscape.
This sanctuary was established in 1967 as a bird protection facility and formally opened in 1968 under Australian administration. It represents one of the earliest systematic wildlife conservation efforts initiated in this remote region of Papua New Guinea.
Local communities maintain strong ties with this land and participate actively in wildlife care operations. Visitors can observe how residents engage with the rehabilitation work and forest stewardship that happens daily here.
Access to this reserve requires advance arrangements with local Ukni landowners, as the site sits on community-managed territory. Visitors should prepare for basic accommodation conditions and plan around the wet season, when forest trails can become challenging to navigate.
The reserve hosts around 185 bird species and is home to Litoria oenicolen, a rare tree frog found nowhere else with any frequency. This small amphibian has been documented in only a handful of locations worldwide, making sightings here particularly noteworthy.
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