"Tourists could spend much time and money just to hear and see birds twittering in the forest."Jambi, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS) hosts a wide range of bird species making the park a potential world birdwatching tourism destination, an observer said.
"Based on my research since 1994, Kerinci National Park has around 300 bird species that live either inside the protected forests or in secondary forests," an ornithologists of Andalas University, Padang, Dr. Wilson Nofarino said here Sunday.
According to Nofarino, the TNKS was known as the habitat for some rare birds and, therefore, it became the main destination for the foreign tourists to conduct bird observations or bird watching.
Birdwatching is an expensive tourism activity that could attract many tourists, Nofarino said, adding that if the authority could manage it well, the birdwatching potentials could bring great income for the local authority and the people.
The Novarino`s research identifies at least three endemic and rare bird species that only can be found in Kerinci Seblat National Park. They are Paok Schneider, Cucak Kerinci and Celepuk Gunung (Mountain Owl).
"In Europe, the birdwatching tourism is very popular. Tourists could spend much time and money just to hear and see birds twittering in the forest," Nofarino said
This has become a new trend in tourism that the government should harness the potentials of the Kerinci Seblat National Park as one of the world`s destinations for bird observation, Nofarino said.
However, the existence of the birds in the national park was under threats of illegal hunting, Nofarino said, adding that there should be any preservation efforts from the local people and the government.
(Uu.KR-AES/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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