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Penang National Park | |
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Taman Negara Pulau Pinang 槟城国家公园 பினாங்கு தேசியப் பூங்காக்கள் | |
Location | Northwestern Penang island |
Nearest city | Teluk Bahang |
Coordinates | 5°26′53″N 100°11′36″E / 5.448°N 100.1932°E |
Area | 2,563 hectares (9.9 sq mi) |
Established | 2003 |
Governing body | Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (PERHILITAN) |
Website | Official website |
Penang National Park (Malay: Taman Negara Pulau Pinang; تامن نݢارا ڤولاو ڤينڠ; Chinese: 槟城国家公园; Bīnchéng guójiā gōngyuán; Tamil: பினாங்கு தேசியப் பூங்காக்கள்; Piṉāṅku tēciyap pūṅkākkaḷ) is a national park in northwestern Malaysia that spans 1,213 ha of land and sea and is used by scientists, researchers, and nature lovers to explore its natural treasures.[1]
Previously known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, it was declared the Penang National Park in April 2003.
The site, located at the northwestern tip of Penang Island, is known to harbour 417 flora and 143 fauna species.
Penang National Park is the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysia's National Park Act of 1980, signifying the state and federal governments' environmental protection efforts. It was established to preserve flora and fauna as well as objects with geological, archaeological, historical, ethnological, scientific, and scenic interests.
Natural attractions of the park include hill/lowland dipterocarp forests, mangrove forest, sandy beach habitats, a seasonal meromictic lake, and open coastal seas. Stands of seraya (Shorea curtisii) trees, a common feature of coastal dipterocarp forests, can be seen on steep slopes around Muka Head. There are over 1,000 species of plants recorded, dominated by the families Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminosae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Moraceae.