First National Park Designated: East Timor

By Barrie | August 5th, 2007 | No Comments

East Timor has designated its first national park as part of efforts to protect threatened bird species and rich marine life, some of which can not be found anywhere else in the world.

The 123,600-hectare (305,415 acres) Nino Konis Santana National Park is home to the critically endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea, the endangered Green-pigeon Treron psittaceus, and nearly two dozen other bird species unique to the country and neighboring islands.

It also spans 55,600 hectares (137,387 acres) of the ‘Coral Triangle,’ which boasts some of the richest biodiversity of coral and reef fish.

“The national park will protect globally significant biodiversity and the culture and socioeconomic livelihoods of communities living there,'’ Manuel Mendes, director of East Timor’s Department of Protected Areas and National Parks, said in a statement.

Mike Rands, chief executive of the international conservation group, BirdLife, praised the government’s decision to designate the area a national park as “incredibly forward-thinking'’ and “all the more spectacular by the fact that this is such a young nation.'’