Tropical rainforest of Wondama regency is the natural habitat of a lot of species of plants and animals. There are mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. There are also various kinds of plants that are used by the indigenous people to build houses, boats; to make fishing and household tools or hunting equipment. Certain plants such as sago, sweet potatoes and breadfruit tree provide food for local people. Rainforest has got herbs which are important ingredients for making traditional medicines.
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| Some wildlife in Wondama regency |
When we travel to Wondama regency, we can visit its rainforest environments from the mangrove forest in tidal area to the lowland and hill forest along the coastal region, and even to higher montane or cloud forest in Wondiboy nature reserve.
We can explore the forest to watch cuscus possum, soa-soa monitor lizards, bandicoot, snakes, beautiful butterflies, and hundreds of species of birds.
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| Rainforest in Wondama regency |
Birds that can be watched in rainforest of Wondama include Magnificent Riflebird, Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Glossy-mantled Manucode, Red Myzomela, Lowland Peltop, Palm Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Double-eyed Fig-parrot, Large Fig Parrot, Black-capped Lory, New Guinea Vulturine Parrot, Blyth's Hornbill, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Oriental Dollarbird, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, and a lot more.
The building complex of local government of Wondama regency in Rasiei area has got various kinds of flower plants. They attract insects especially colorful butterflies to get the nectar. Some of them include Common Green Birdwing Butterfly (Ornithoptera priamus), Great Eggfly butterfly, Cruiser Butterfly and a lot more. Butterfly watchers can visit this place to watch butterflies in the mornings and in the afternoons.
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| Mangrove and hill forest in Wondama regency |
Nocturnal birds such as Large-tailed Nightjar and Papuan Frogmouth can be watched when visitors, accompanied by local guide, do night walk in the jungle. Sometimes, birdwatchers may see birds that sleep on the lower branches of trees and shrub plants. They include Papuan Pitta, Hooded Pitta, Spot-winged Monarch, and etc. The chance to find cuscus possum, snake is higher especially during moonless nights.
There are a lot of islands in the waters of Wondama regency. Pristine coral reef surround these islands. It is the natural habitat of various species of marine plants and animals. Coral reef is considered as the tropical rainforest of the sea. Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling device in order to see the wealth of bio-diversity of the coral reef.
Wildlife Watching Equipment
Visitors who travel to Indonesia for taking wildlife watching tours in Wondama regency and other parts of West Papua need to bring certain equipment such as binoculars, green light laser pointer, field guide books for birds, mammals, and insects of New Guinea. Flashlight, and camera are also needed. During rainy season, bringing rain poncho, and plastic bags to cover our body and the above equipment is highly recommended.
How to get to Wondama Regency
It is easy to travel to Wondama. First, visitors need to take international flight from their country to Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia. After that they can take domestic flight to Manokwari city. Official local guides from HPI of West Papua province in Manokwari can meet visitors at the airport and organize their trip to Wondama by passenger boats or by a small turboprop plane.
For further info, please, contact us by sending email message to: dpdhpiwestpapua@gmail.com
by C.R.-DPDHPIPB
