Monkey Beach

The Penang National Park spans 1,213ha of land and sea and is used by scientists, researchers, and nature lovers to explore its natural treasures. Previously known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, this pristine site is known to harbour 417 flora and 143 fauna species. Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, located at the northwestern tip of Penang Island, was declared the Penang National Park in April 2003. Penang National Park is the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysia's National Park Act of 1980, signifying the State and Federal governments' environmental protection efforts. Penang National Park was established to preserve and protect flora and fauna as well as objects with geological, archaeological, historical, ethnological, scientific, and scenic interests. Natural attractions of Pulau Pinang National Park include the hill / lowland dipterocarp forests, mangrove forest areas, sandy beach habitats, a seasonal meromictic lake and the open coastal seas. Stands of seraya trees, common feature of coastal dipterocarp forest, can be easily seen on steep slopes around Muka Head. There are over 1000 species of plants recorded which are dominated by the families Dipterocarpaceae, Leguminosae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae. Part of the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve had been logged before 1955; no forest areas there have been logged since 1955. All logging activities were stopped in 1996, and Malaysian public funding has been allocated to develop the Penang National Park, within guidelines.
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