Wetlands in Pidaung Game Sanctuary
Location:
25°15'-25°35'N, 97°04'-97°20'E; approximately 20 km west of Myitkyina, on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River in Myitkyina Forest Division, Kachin State.
Area:
Area of wetlands unknown; Game Sanctuary 70,502 ha.
Altitude:
148-1,362m.
Biogeographical Province:
4.9.4
Wetland type:
11, 13, 15 & 18
Description of site:
The sanctuary comprises rolling hills and valleys, and includes part of the riverine plains along the Irrawaddy to the east. The sanctuary is situated in an amphitheatre of hills rising to some 2,400m. Underlying strata are probably Irrawaddy alluvial deposits.
Climatic conditions:
Monsoonal climate. The mean annual rainfall in South Kachin varies between 1,800 mm and 2,500 mm.
Principal vegetation:
The original vegetation cover of the plains included extensive areas of short grass, known as iwins. The hills were covered with dense tropical broad-leaved evergreen forest dominated by species of Terminalia and Shorea. The present condition of the vegetation is not known.
Land tenure:
No information.
Conservation measures taken:
The area was originally declared a Game Reserve in October 1917 under the Burma Game Rules, 1917. A southern extension was notified in 1921. Both reserves were notified as a Game Sanctuary in September 1927, with a total area of 71,928 ha. The Pidaung East Extension Reserve (1,300 ha) and the Kamaing Kachin Hill Tract (191 ha) were gazetted as the Pidaung West Extension Reserve in 1938, and added to the sanctuary. During the second World War, parts of the sanctuary were converted to paddy cultivation; these areas have since been excised from the sanctuary (Tun Yin, 1954).
Conservation measures proposed:
No information.
Land use:
There are several villages just outside the sanctuary. Although no details are known, the immediate vicinity of the sanctuary, in common with much of the Irrawaddy valley, is probably heavily settled. The nearest major population centres are Myitkyina, Mogaung, Namti and Mayan, located between one and 12 km to the west.
Disturbances and threats:
Security problems in northern Burma have led to a ready supply of firearms. This, and the 164 km of roads and paths within the sanctuary, probably leads to widespread poaching. In addition, six villages and three tea plantations have rights over parts of the protected area.
Economic and social values:
No information.
Fauna:
Very little recent information is available. Mammals observed in the sanctuary in 1953-54 included Panthera tigris, P. pardus, a bear, possibly Selenarctos thibetanus, Elephas maximus, Bos gaurus, B. javanicus, Cervus porcinus, C. unicolor, Muntiacus muntjak, Cuon alpinus and Sus scrofa (Tim Yin, 1954). A species of rhinoceros, probably Dicerorhinus sumatrensis, was reported in the 1 950s, but was not considered to be resident in the sanctuary. Leopard P. pardus and Green Peafowl Pavo muticus are still present, but E. maximus and B. javanicus, although relatively abundant to the west of the sanctuary, are not currently present in the sanctuary (Salter, 1983). No information is available on the waterfowl.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
No information.
References:
Anon (1937); Burton (1950); FAO (1985a); IUCN (in prep); Salter (1983); Tun Yin (1954 & 1955).
Criteria for Inclusion:
0.
Source:
See references