Lorenz National Park
Lorenz – is a national reserve located in the province of Papua, owned by Indonesia. The area of the park is 25,056 km2. The uniqueness of Lorentz lies in the fact that it owns a diverse ecosystem, which includes coastlines, swamps, mountain ranges along with its pristine forests, mangroves, glaciers. The Lorenz National Reserve – is one of the largest territories that is protected by the state throughout Southeast Asia.
The entire land of Lorenz Park is not fully explored, since part of the districts are not even mapped. It is likely that there are representatives of the plant and animal world, so far, unheard of the science of these territories.
The highest peak of the park is Mount Punchak Jaya, reaching around 4884 m above sea level.
Lorenz Park dates back to 1919, when the Dutch authorities decided to take protection of approximately 3,000 km2 here, having erected a natural monument of Lorenz here. In 1978, the boundaries of protected land were expanded, and it already reached 21,500 km2. Nationals are a park with a territory that is now represented, was announced in 1997, and since 1999 has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The name of the park is associated with a famous explorer whose expedition went through these lands in 1909 – 1910.
This territory was inhabited by residents 25,000 years ago, as sources tell us. To date, about 60 small villages are located in the reserve zone. It’s not so easy to get to these settlements, because highways do not lead here. It is possible to get into at least one village of Lorentz only on foot, or using an airplane that is intended for such walks. This area is inhabited by approximately eight indigenous tribes. The population lives at the expense of their own labor, because they exist far from civilization. The people here are excellent hunters, gatherers, as well as farmers. The park authorities pay special attention to maintaining local traditions, because the success of the reserve also depends on this.
More than a hundred species of mammals live in Lorenz Park, and a huge number of birds are also represented here, most of which belong to the Papua family. In the reserve there are birds ( about 20 species ), which are nowhere else to be found. Of course, all these data are approximate, because on these lands most of the territory is simply not investigated, since the specifics of this circle are not conducive to accounting. Thus, the rarest species of the plant and animal world, little known to Western scientists, may turn out to be here.
