Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park - Shrine to Maha Kathapa

Year of Declaration:  2003
Area (hectares): 140,280
Area and Location:

Mingin and Kani townships of Sagaing Division, Myanmar.

 

Description:

The Park is hilly accented by valleys; protects the drainage basin of two perennial rivers;  harbors a wealth of large animals; a shrine and a reclining figure of Kathapa is found inside the Park.

 

Habitat Types:

Moist  upper mixed deciduous forests; dry upper mixed deciduous forests; lower mixed deciduous teak forests; indaing dry dipterocarp forests; some pine forests on higher ridges.

 

Unique Flora:

Tree species like teak (Tectona grandis), ironwood (Xylia dolabriformis), Pyinkado (X. xylocarpa), Burma padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus), Burmese rosewood/Southeast Asian rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri), taeng (Shorea obtuse), and S. siamensis; 

 

Unique Fauna:

Asian elephant (Elephas maximus);  leopard; clouded leopard; black bear, gaur (Bos gaur); banteng (Bos banteng);  sambar and barking deer; serow; goral; wild boar; wild dog;  primates; Indo-Chinese tiger (Pantheratigriscorbetii); great hornbill; oriental pied hornbill; redheaded trogon; hoopoe; the endemic hooded treepie and many other birds.

 

Ecotourism Destination and Activities:

Local pagoda festival; shrine of AlaungdawS hinmahar Kathapa where visitors can worship; the Park offers excellent opportunities for research and study , especially on tiger conservation and management; other activities include bird watching, observing  wildlife and butterflies, spectacular plants and orchids, riding elephants, and trekking in several types  of natural forest; the Park has guesthouses,  log cabins and campsites.

 

Biological Richness: • 60 species of migratory birds
• 370 species of birds
• 80 species of reptiles and amphibians
• 240 species of butterflies
• 39 species of mammals
• 297 species of trees
• 106 species of orchids