Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

Lore & Background

The area was first protected by the Dutch East Indies government in 1935 as the South Sumatra I Nature Reserve, and it became a national park in 1982. The park stretches along the Bukit Barisan mountain range, averaging only 45 km wide but 350 km long. Its northern part is mountainous with the highest point at Gunung Pulung (1,964 m), while the southern section is a peninsula. The park contains montane forest, lowland tropical forest, coastal forest, and mangrove forest. Notable plants include the Rafflesia arnoldii, Amorphophallus titanum, and the impressive Grammatophyllum speciosum, one of the largest orchids in the world.

Reader's Guide

Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is significant as a critical refuge for several endangered and threatened species. It hosts approximately 500 Sumatran elephants (25% of the remaining subspecies), an estimated 17–24 Sumatran rhinos, and about 40 adult Sumatran tigers (10% of the remaining population). The park also contains the most recent records of the poorly known Sumatran striped rabbit. Since the 1970s, squatter encroachment has been a major threat; by 2006, about 127,000 people occupied 55,000 ha of park land, and 63,000 ha of primary forest were lost between 1972 and 2006 due to illegal agriculture. The World Wide Fund for Nature found over 450 km² of park land used for growing coffee and is working with multinational coffee companies to avoid buying illegally grown coffee. As of 2021, this situation remains pending.

Did You Know?

• The park is home to about 500 Sumatran elephants, representing 25% of the total remaining population of this subspecies.
• An estimated 17–24 Sumatran rhinos live in the park, part of a total population of fewer than 100 animals across three parks.
• The park is known for the impressive Grammatophyllum speciosum, one of the largest orchid species in the world.

Geography & Physical Landscape

The South Barisan Mountains National Park stretches along the spine of Sumatra's Bukit Barisan range, covering a total of 3,568 square kilometers across three provinces—Lampung, Bengkulu, and South Sumatra. Though remarkably long at roughly 350 kilometers, the park averages only about 45 kilometers in width, giving it a narrow, elongated character. The northern reaches are distinctly mountainous, rising to their peak at Gunung Pulung, which stands at 1,964 meters above sea level. In contrast, the southern portion of the park tapers into a peninsula. This geographic diversity supports a remarkable mosaic of habitats: montane forests cling to the higher elevations, lowland tropical forests fill the valleys, while coastal and mangrove forests fringe the park's edges along the shoreline. Together with Gunung Leuser National Park and Kerinci Seblat National Park, this stretch of Sumatran wilderness has been recognized by UNESCO as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra, a World Heritage Site that underscores the irreplaceable ecological value of these interconnected forests.

Biodiversity & Endangered Species

The park's forests shelter an extraordinary array of plant and animal life. Among the trees and understory species are Nipa palm, Casuarina equisetifolia, Anisoptera curtisii, and Gonystylus bancanus, alongside genera such as Sonneratia, Pandanus, Anthoshorea, Shorea, and Dipterocarpus. The floral highlights include the enormous Rafflesia arnoldii, two species of Amorphophallus (decus-silvae and titanum), and Grammatophyllum speciosum, recognized as the world's largest orchid. The animal roster is equally staggering. Roughly 500 Sumatran elephants—about a quarter of the surviving subspecies—roam these forests. An estimated 17 to 24 Sumatran rhinoceroses call the park home, part of a global population numbering fewer than 100. Around 40 adult Sumatran tigers, representing roughly ten percent of all remaining individuals, also live here. The park holds the most recent records of the elusive Sumatran striped rabbit. Other residents include the Malayan tapir, siamang, Sumatran surili, sun bear, and lesser mouse-deer, while more than 300 bird species, including the critically endangered Sumatran ground-cuckoo, fill the canopy.

Heritage & Conservation History

The story of protection for this landscape reaches back to the colonial era. In 1935, the Dutch East Indies government declared the area the South Sumatra I Nature Reserve, marking the first formal step toward safeguarding these forests. Decades later, in 1982, the region was elevated to national park status under the Indonesian government, formalizing its role as a protected wilderness. The park's international significance was further cemented when UNESCO recognized it—alongside Gunung Leuser and Kerinci Seblat National Parks—as part of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra World Heritage Site. The secondary forests within the park specifically received this UNESCO designation. A welcoming signboard stands a few kilometers from Liwa, the administrative capital of West Lampung Regency in Lampung Province, greeting visitors as they approach this stretch of protected land. The layered history of protection—from colonial-era reserve to modern national park to globally recognized heritage site—reflects a long, evolving commitment to preserving one of Sumatra's most vital ecological corridors.

Threats & Ongoing Challenges

Despite its protected status, the park faces severe and persistent pressures. Beginning in the 1970s, squatter communities began establishing themselves within park boundaries. Although authorities carried out forced evictions in the early 1980s, the human presence not only persisted but grew significantly after 1998. By 2006, an estimated 127,000 people had encroached on roughly 55,000 hectares of park land. Over the period from 1972 to 2006, approximately 63,000 hectares of primary forest were lost, with about 20 percent of that deforestation attributed to illegal agriculture. The World Wide Fund for Nature identified more than 450 square kilometers of park territory being converted to coffee cultivation, and the organization has since engaged multinational coffee companies to help ensure they do not purchase beans grown illegally on protected land. As of 2021, the encroachment crisis remains unresolved, leaving the park's fragile ecosystems and the endangered species that depend on them under continued threat.