Danau Sentarum National Park, National park and Ramsar site in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Danau Sentarum National Park is a protected wetland area in Borneo made up of connected lakes, rivers, and floodplain forests. The complex system of water and vegetation covers a vast expanse and provides habitat for thousands of plant and animal species.
The area first gained protected status as a wildlife reserve in 1982 and was recognized as a Ramsar wetland site in 1994. It became a national park in 1999, giving it stronger legal protection for its ecological value.
The western part of the upper Kapuas floodplain is home to almost 20,000 people, 88% of them Malay fishermen; about 3,000 live in some 20 village enclaves inside the park. Locals call the floodplain lebak lebung. Since 2007 honey harvested in the park has been certified organic by BIOCERT, and beekeepers cut combs with stainless knives and strain the drips through gauze.
Access to the park is by boat along the Kapuas River, typically departing from settlements like Semitau. Planning a visit requires arranging water transportation in advance and hiring local guides to navigate the interconnected waterways safely.
The park's lakes hold around 240 recorded fish species, including the Asian arowana and clown loach botia; a biological expedition there found species of the genera Chitala, Scleropages, Channa, Leptobarbus and Parachela, among them many new to science. Of 143 mammal species, 23 are endemic to Borneo, such as the proboscis monkey.
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