Kinabalu Park (Malay: Taman Kinabalu) was created in 1964 as one of Malaysia’s first national parks. It became Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000 because of its "outstanding universal values" and its importance as a major biological site. The park is home to more than 4,500 species of plants and animals, including 326 bird species, about 100 mammal species, and over 110 land snail species.
The park is located on the west coast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. It covers an area of 754 square kilometers and surrounds Mount Kinabalu, which rises to 4,095.2 meters and is the highest mountain on the island of Borneo.
Kinabalu Park is a popular tourist destination in Sabah and Malaysia. In 2010, the park welcomed 611,624 visitors, including 47,613 climbers who reached the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
UNESCO has recognized the park as a Centre of Plant Diversity for Southeast Asia. It contains representatives of at least half of all Borneo’s plant species and has a wide variety of plants with origins from China, Australia, the Himalayas, Malaysia, and tropical regions worldwide.
History
In 1851, Hugh Low, a British colonial official and naturalist, led an expedition from Tuaran to the region. He was the first person recorded to reach the peak of Mount Kinabalu. The highest point of the mountain was later named Low's Peak in his honor.
In 1964, the region was designated as a national park. This decision was influenced by expeditions led by botanist E. J. H. Corner for the Royal Society in 1961 and 1964.
Geography
Kinabalu Park is located on the Crocker Range along the western coast of Sabah. It is found in the Ranau district, which is part of the West Coast Division. This park should not be confused with Crocker Range National Park, which is a different park located farther south.
The park headquarters is 88 kilometers from the city of Kota Kinabalu. Paved roads connect the park headquarters to other areas of Sabah. The headquarters is located on the southern edge of Kinabalu Park, at a height of 1,563 meters (5,128 feet).
Administration and park features
This park is managed by an organization called Sabah Parks. Places to stay, such as chalets, are available in the park, mostly near the headquarters. Reservations for lodging and mountain climbing guides are handled by a private company named Sutera Sanctuary Lodges. Every person who wants to climb the mountain must be accompanied by a trained guide. Sutera now requires hikers to stay one night at their lodge near the entrance, in addition to a required stay at Laban Rata. The cost to stay is much higher than at lodging outside the park and includes a requirement to purchase meals and other items.
The mountain summit trail begins at Timpohon. There is also another path called the Mesilau Trail.
A notable feature of the park is Low's Gully. It is a 1.6-kilometer deep ravine that stretches 10 kilometers along the side of the mountain peak.
Ecology
This botanical site has many different plants and animals that live in four climate zones. These include rich lowland dipterocarp forests, montane forests with oak and rhododendron trees, coniferous forests, alpine meadow plants, and small bushes on the mountain's summit. The mountain is also famous for its carnivorous plants and orchids, especially the Nepenthes rajah.
It is home to many animals found only in this area, such as the Kinabalu giant red leech and Kinabalu giant earthworm. The park also has a wide range of birds, insects, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
Mount Kinabalu is one of the youngest non-volcanic mountains in the world. It formed between 10 and 35 million years ago. The mountain continues to grow by 5 millimeters each year.
Gallery
- The Kinabalu Park Headquarters
- The mountain squirrel
- The ochraceous bulbul
- The male Philautus bunitus
- The crested dragon (Hypsicalotes kinabaluensis)
- The black and golden cicada (Huechys fusca)
- The orbweb spider (Araneidae)