Mount Halimun Salak National Park is a 400 square kilometer conservation area in the Indonesian province of West Java on the island of Java. Created in 1992, the park includes two mountains, Mount Salak and Mount Halimun, connected by an 11-kilometer forest corridor. It is near the well-known Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, but visitors should start their journey from Sukabumi. From there, it takes 2 hours to reach the main office and another 2 hours (30 kilometers) to arrive at the Cikaniki post gate.
The park protects water catchment areas from nearby cities and farmland to the north. It is also home to several endangered animals and rare bird species.
Geography
The mountain peaks reach 1,929 meters and are often covered in mist. The valleys may have things that are still unknown. Mount Salak is an important area for collecting water because it receives a lot of rain. The park combines two important ecosystems from Halimun and Mount Salak, which are linked by an 11-kilometer forest corridor.
The Kesepuhan traditional community consists of about 5,300 people living in the southern part of the park. Their main village is Ciptagelar.
Ecology
The lower areas of the region have safe populations of the endangered silvery gibbon. Mount Halimun is the most secure home for this species, but it is only found in a narrow area around the park, as it does not live above 1,200 meters. The Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) and other species found only in this area are present; about half of the 145 known bird species here are rarely seen in other parts of Java.
Chevron Pacific Indonesia, which has a 10,000-hectare area for geothermal energy, used 3 percent of this area for its power station. The company has participated in some conservation efforts, such as placing camera traps to monitor wildlife.
Three animals are known to breed in the area:
- The silvery gibbon increased from 54 in 2008 to 61 in 2013
- The Javan hawk eagle increased from 10 in 2008 to 16 in 2011, but decreased to 11 in 2013
- The Javan leopard increased significantly from 6 in 2008 to 18 by mid-2014