Lorenz National Park
Lorenz is a national nature reserve located in the province of Papua, belonging to Indonesia. The park area is 25,056 km2. The uniqueness of Lorenz lies in the fact that it owns a diverse ecosystem, which includes coastlines, swamps, mountain ranges with their pristine forests, mangroves, glaciers. The Lorenz National Reserve is one of the largest state-protected areas in all of Southeast Asia.
The entire land of Lorenz Park has not been fully explored, as some areas have not even been mapped. There is a possibility that there are representatives of the plant and animal world here, which until now has been unheard of in the science of these parts.
The highest peak of the park is Mount Punchak Jaya, which reaches a height of approximately 4884 m above sea level.
Lorenz Park dates back to 1919, when the Dutch authorities decided to protect approximately 3,000 km2 of the local territory by installing the Lorenz Natural Monument here. In 1978, the boundaries of the protected land were expanded, and it already reached 21,500 km2. The National Park with the territory that is now represented was announced in 1997, and since 1999 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site lists. The name of the park is associated with the famous explorer, whose expedition went through these lands in 1909-1910.
This territory was inhabited by inhabitants as early as 25,000 years ago, as the sources tell us. Today, there are about 60 small villages in the reserve area. It is not so easy to get to these settlements, because there are no highways leading here. It is possible to get to at least one village of Lorenz only on foot, or by using an airplane, which is designed for such walks. This area is inhabited by approximately eight indigenous tribes. The population lives off their own labor, because they exist far from civilization. The people here are excellent hunters, gatherers, and farmers. The park authorities pay special attention to maintaining local traditions, because the success of the reserve also depends on this.
Lorenz Park is home to more than a hundred species of mammals, and there are also a huge number of birds, most of which belong to the Papua family. There are birds in the reserve (about 20 varieties), which are not found anywhere else. Of course, all these data are approximate, because most of the territory on these lands is simply unexplored, since the specifics of this circle do not favor accounting. Thus, there may be rare species of flora and fauna that are little known to Western scientists.
