Hlawga Wildlife Park

Location

Located between 17'01' N and 96'05' E in Taukkyan ward, Mingaladon Township of Yangon Division.

Area

540 acres, comprising a wildlife park (818 acres), a mini-zoo (62 acres) and a buffer zone (660 acres).

Year of Establishment

Established on 30 September 1982.

Accessibility

Approximately 22 miles north of Yangon, just west of Yangon-Pyay Road.

Objectives

• To establish an environmental education centre near Yangon.
• To protect the forests and vegetative cover in the catchment of Hlawga Lake.
• To establish a representative collection of Myanmar indigenous wildlife species of mammals, reptiles and birds, which will be kept under as near as possible natural conditions in such as a way that they can be readily viewed by visitors.

Forest/vegetative Types

• Semi-evergreen forests
• Mixed deciduous forests
• Swamp forests

Wildlife

Thamin, hog deer, barking deer, sambar deer, rhesus monkey, pythons, pangolin, mythun, all have in the fenced wildlife park. In the mini-zoo, small mammals, birds, tigers, leopards, bears, estuarine crocodiles and Golden Thamin (Cervus eldi), endemic to Myanmar are being displayed more freely in large in spacious cages and aviaries built with modern zoo concept.

Conservation, Development and Research Programmes

• Effective protection and management of degraded forests.
• Establishment and management of buffer zone plantations.
• Construction of high quality rest house "chalets" that are in harmony with the natural surroundings.
• Establishment of a new Information Centre.
• Construction of a 5-storied viewing tower.
• Maintenance of roads, nature tails and of all buildings and their utilities.
• Research programmes on vegetative study and ornithological studies on both resident and migratory birds.
• Environment education activities to create public awareness of environment conservation.
• Joint-venture development works between Forest Department and private sectors for all-round development of Hlawga park.

Opportunities for Study and Recreation

• Study nature conservation activities in Myanmar.
• Observing ecological study on Thamin, hog deer, barking deer, sambar deer, etc., in their natural state.
• Enjoyment of out-door recreation such as picnic sites, traditional huts, boats and elephant rides.
• Conducting individual or group bird-watching activities with assistance from experienced bird-watchers of the park.
• Study a previously human-disturbed and degraded forest, gradually restoring itself into a well-grown natural forest, over a time-span of 20 years.
• Recreation in high quality "chalets" built by the Forest Department.