[navigasi.net] Flora&Fauna - Taman Nasional Bali Barat

West Bali National Park (WBNP) covers around 19,000 Hectares of land, located within two Kabupaten: Kabupaten Buleleng and Kabupaten Jembrana and can be reached from Denpasar to the west, direction Gilimanuk, around 3 to 4 hours driving. The WBNP or PPA office located in Cekik (S8.188470 - E114.440680) a small town, 6 Kilometer south of Gilimanuk, where all documentations and permits to enter the park has to be obtained. There are two ways to enter WBNP: with vehicle, or the more adventures by walking/tracking up and down mountain, from Sumber Kelampok through Klatakan mountain. One could easily guess which one I took

I was accompanied by Herry, a nice young man from Balai Perlindungan Alam West Bali. I was particularly interested to visit the rehabilitation center of Jalak Bali (Leucopsar Rothschildi) an endemic bird that nearly extinct, estimated only 18 to 20 in the wild.

	[navigasi.net] Flora&Fauna - Taman Nasional Bali Barat

I heard that there are two places, one in San Diego zoo and the other is in a zoo in Japan that have successful breeding facility of Jalak Bali. Only recently, the Bali conservation and breeding center received a dozen, from 24 birds sent by the Japan breeding center.

The conservation and breeding center of Jalak Bali in WBNP is located in Pos Tegal Bunder (S8.158880 - E114.486730). Putu Jasa, the breeding expert, who is responsible of the revival of Jalak Bali in the wild took me around facilities and explained thoroughly the breeding process. He said that the chicks of some Jalak Bali previously received from Japan were “deformed”, perhaps as results of “over-breed”? While I am not an expert in this particular field, but comparing the facilities in Bali of a particular bird that has become an international concerns, with what I have seen in San Diego was incomparable.

	[navigasi.net] Flora&Fauna - Taman Nasional Bali Barat

To start with, the visit of veterinarian is uncertain, let alone the lab facilities to detect any diseases etc. It would probably wise for Balai PPA to consider sending people like Putu Jasa abroad to get a better knowledge about conservation and breeding rare birds.

After visiting the breeding center, I continued my journey to Pos Prapat Agung (S8.148080 - E114.444750) located along a beautiful white sand beach, “pantai lama” as the locals named it. If Kuta Beach is reserved for tourists, pantai Prapat Agung or pantai lama is reserved for the inhabitants of West Bali National Park. Every afternoon, from the distant, we could enjoy watching deers, wild boars and many others are playing in the beach and it was a moment where people with heart agree that we are the guardian of those beautiful animals.

Besides diverse fauna, the Best Bali National Park has equally unique flora, known only found there, such as “panggal buaya” a tree full with spikes like the back of a crocodile. This particular wood is highly priced by the Ubud carving industry, because of the texture of the wood, believed to have a magical feeling when looking at it.

	[navigasi.net] Flora&Fauna - Taman Nasional Bali Barat

There are also “lianas” trees or “bun tree” the local named it, the “braid looking” trees also highly priced for expensive picture frames. There is also nursery of the rare Sawo Kecik Trees (Manikara Kauki) known to be the favorite of Balinese woman nobilities for its “seductive” aroma after eating the fruits, woaw...

My journey end at Pos Lampu Merah (S8.098000 - E114.435829) located at the very tip of the northern west Bali, only around 2.8 Kilometers from Jawa. It odds name apparently due to the presence of a light house (mercu suar) that produces reddish color when lighted in the evening. There is an old Pura (Hindu Temple), known to be the oldest Pura (Pura Segara Rupeg) ever built by the first wave of Hindu immigrants from Jawa, back in the early 15th century. Every “full moon” many people come from all over Bali, to over sajen and pray. In the evening the beautiful panorama across the Bali straits dominated by Merapi mountain with its magical look ... fantastic.