HOMALIN- The international experts already conducted a survey in February to designate Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary as Asean Heritage Park and they brought the documents about the wildlife sanctuary, according to Win Hlaing, administrator of Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary.
“The experts inspected the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary whether it will be named or not “Asean heritage park”. The experts are foreigners and they inspected the Htamanthi whether it will be became their standardization or not. We gave the documents about the Htamanthi to them[experts].The Asean has to give the award of Asean Heritage Park every two years. In Myanmar, there are two Asean designated places namely Tanintharyi Forest reserve and Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary. They inspected two places. Among two places, one will be designated as the Asean Heritage Park. Currently, they conducted a survey and then they will decide at oversee,” said Win Hlaing.
“There has been required specification aiming to designate as Asean Heritage Park. They[experts] carried soft copy of our management plan, the numbers of rare species and animals, the wildlife sanctuary’s location and forest covered acreage. Moreover, they observed the wildlife sanctuary. Myanmar submitted a proposal to Asean Center for Biodiversity (ACB) to classify Htamanthi Wildlife sanctuary in Sagaing Region as Asean Heritage Park,” said Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary’s in charge Kyaw Moe from Wcs Myanmar.
The wildlife sanctuary has one of the richest areas of biodiversity in Myanmar and Myanmar proposed it to the ACB to classify it as an Asean Heritage Park as it is home to many endangered species and rare species of animals including Burmese Roofed Turtle, which is the second rare species of tortoise all over the world, said Khin Maung Yee, permanent secretary of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in an opening ceremony of Htamanthi training and research center held on December 5.
The sanctuary was established in 1974 and located between Kani and Homalin Townships in Kani District, Sagaing Region. It covered 2,151 square Kilometers.
In Myanmar, Hkakabo Razi National Park, Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary, Ahlondaw Kathapa National Park, Inlay Lake Forest Reserve, Natmataung National Park, Mein-ma-hla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary and Lampi Marine National Park are being designated as the Asean Heritage Park.
