Ujung Kulon National Park

Lore & Background

The Ujung Kulon area was first introduced to the Western world by Dutch-German botanist Franz W. Junghuhn in 1846. Following the eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883 and a 15-meter-high tsunami, many settlements on the peninsula were destroyed and never rebuilt, and a layer of volcanic ash up to 30 cm thick covered the area. Despite this, the area rapidly recovered, becoming a repository for much of Java's flora and fauna.

Conservation efforts began in the early 20th century during the colonial Dutch East Indies. Pulau Panaitan was designated a nature reserve in 1921, later combined with Pulau Peucang as a wildlife sanctuary in 1937. After independence, the area regained nature reserve status, and the southern part of Gunung Honje Protection Forest was added in 1967, with the northern portion following in 1979. It was declared a national park in 1992, and border reconstructions by Mt. Honje were finalized in 2004.

Reader's Guide

Ujung Kulon National Park holds immense significance as the last known habitat of the critically endangered Javan rhinoceros, with current estimates of about 82 individuals. It is also one of three national parks in Java with a lowland rainforest ecosystem, alongside Baluran and Alas Purwo. The park's flora includes 175 observed species, 57 protected, and three rare protected flora: Heritiera percoriacea, Vatica bantamensis, and Intsia bijuga. The Arenga palm is considered troublesome, reducing rhino food supply. Fauna includes roughly 35 endemic mammal species such as banteng, silvery gibbon, Javan leopard, and Javan tiger (which survived until the mid-1960s). The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 and an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2005. Its legacy includes serving as a repository for Java's biodiversity after the Krakatoa eruption and as a model for conservation in Indonesia.

Did You Know?

• Ujung Kulon means 'Western End' or 'Point West' in Banten Sundanese.
• The park once included the volcanic island group of Krakatoa, though current maps show it as a separate protected area.
• Following the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, an average 30 cm layer of volcanic ash covered the area.
• The Javan tiger survived in the national park until the 1970s, with the last confirmed sighting often cited as 1976.