History of Taman Negara
Taman Negara was established in Malaysia in 1939 as the King George V National Park. It was renamed to Taman Negara after Independence, which literally means "National Park" in Malay. The total area of Taman Negara is 4,343 km².
Taman Negara encompasses three states, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, each with its own legislation. The Taman Negara Enactment (Pahang) No.2 of 1939 is enforced in the state of Pahang, the Taman Negara Enactment (Kelantan) No. 14 of 1938 in the state of Kelantan and the Taman Negara Enactment (Terengganu) No.6 of 1939 in the state of Terengganu. The enactments have similar contents. The stated purpose of Taman Negara is "to utilise the land within the park in perpetuity, for the propagation, protection and preservation of indigenous flora and fauna".
Geographical Information
Taman Negara Pahang is the largest at 2,477 km², followed by Taman Negara Kelantan at 1,043 km² and Taman Negara Terengganu at 853 km². Taman Negara is located 4 and 5 north of the equator. It lies within the headwaters of three river system; the Tembeling in the south, the Trenggan in the east and the Relai-Aring-Labir in the north. Temperature during the day is averaged at 26 Celsius and at night 22 Celsius.
Negrito Batek Tribe
Taman Negara revealed evidence of human habitation of almost 2,000 years ago with the discovery of bronze artifacts along the Tembeling river. A group of Orang Asli (Original People), the Negrito Batek, still lives within the borders of the park. They continue to gather wild food and hunt with blowpipes as they have for countless generations.
Renown Ecotourist Destination
The park has been developed into a famous ecotourism destination in Malaysia. There are several geological and biological attractions in the park. Gunung Tahan is the highest point of the Malay Peninsula; climbers can use Kuala Tahan or Merapoh as their departure destination. Taman Negara is the home of some rare mammals, such as the Indochinese Tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Malayan Gaur (Seladang) and Asian Elephant. Tahan River has been preserved to protect the Malaysian mahseer (ikan kelah in Malay), a type of game fish.
Other attractions found near Kuala Tahan (Park headquarters for Pahang) include a canopy walkway, Gua Telinga (cave system) and Lata Berkoh (rapid). Visitors can also enjoy the tropical rain forest through birdwatching, jungle trekking (e.g., Tenor Rentis) or savour the river views along the Tahan River.
source: travellershome.com.my
