Pyin-O-Lwin Bird Sanctuary

22°00′00″N 96°30′00″E / 22.00000°N 96.50000°E / 22.00000; 96.50000Area127.25 km² (49.13 sq mi)^[1]Established1918Governing bodyForest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation

Pyin-O-Lwin Bird Sanctuary is a protected area in Myanmar's Pyinoolwin Township in Mandalay Region covering an area of 127.25 km² (49.13 sq mi).^[1] It was gazetted in 1918 and spans an elevation of 975–1,210 m (3,199–3,970 ft).^[2] It is one of four protected wetlands.

Description

This sanctuary is near the town of Pyin-O-Lwin. The road linking Anesakhan (Burmese: အနီးစခန်း) and Lashio (Burmese: ပွင့်ဖြူ) towns passes through the sanctuary. It receives south-west monsoon rains of about 1,000 mm (39 in) every year from June to August.^[3]

Biodiversity

Pyin-O-Lwin Bird Sanctuary harbours evergreen hill forest. Wildlife present include green peafowl (Pavo muticus), grey peacock pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum) and barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak).^[2]

History

Pyin-O-Lwin Bird Sanctuary was gazetted in 1918.^[2] It was established in 1927. As of 2017, it is managed by the Forest Department.^[4]

Tourism

Pyin-O-Lwin town is a favourite destination for the tourist since, it is located on the main road and railway line from Mandalay to Lashio. Many tourist attractions like National Kandawgyi Gardens (Burmese: အမျိုးသားကန်တော်ကြီးဥယျာဉ်), flower garden have resulted in need to develop Pyin-O-Lwin Bird sanctuary. Regular educated forest staff is in need to direct the local and foreign tourist visiting the sanctuary.

Threats

Logging
Fishing
Hunting and trading of wildlife
Shifting cultivation practices have led to encroachment
Extraction of water, fuel wood, charcoal and non-timber forest produce is depriving wildlife habitat^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b World Database on Protected Areas (2019). "Pyin-O-Lwin Bird Sanctuary". Protected Planet.
^ ^a ^b ^c Beffasti, L.; Gallanti, V., eds. (2011). "Pyin-O-Lwin". Myanmar Protected Areas: Context, Current Status and Challenges (PDF). Milano, Yangon: Istituto Oikos, Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association. p. 82.
^ "Climate - Burma". Climates to Travel. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^ Lazarus, K. M.; Cardinale, P.; Corbett, M.; Lin, N. S.; Noeske, T. K. H. (2017). "Baseline Assessment Report of Terrestrial Biodiversity" (PDF). Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Hydropower Sector in Myanmar. Washington, D.C.: International Finance Corporation.
^ "Pyin Oo Lwin sanctuary expanded". Myanmar Times. 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2019.