Myanmar Protected Areas: Context, Current Status ... - Istituto Oikos

PANLAUNG-PYADALIN CAVE
Site ID 30
Locality Shan State, Ywa Ngan Township
Coordinates N 21° 01’, E 96° 21’
Size (km²) 334
Altitude (m. asl) 150 – 1,555
Myanmar category Wildlife Sanctuary
IUCN category IV
Site Governance Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division
Boundaries Demarcated
Year gazetted 2002
Protection level Total
Main purposes
Habitat
Conservation, Cultural heritage, Research/ Education,
Recreation/ Ecotourism
Mixed Deciduous Forest (Moist Upper), Mixed Deciduous
Forest (Dry Upper), Indaing Forest
Key resources Asian Elephant, Banteng, Gaur, Clouded Leopard, Serow
Legend of topographic maps
Head Quarters
Ranger Post
Towns
Protected Areas
State/Region Boundaries
Roads
Water areas
Rivers
Elevation
5.800 m. asl
0 m. asl
Legend of satellite maps
Water Depth Vegetation Density
Deep
Shallow
High
Low
SITE DESCRIPTION
Panlaung-Pyadalin Cave Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Ywa
Ngan Township of Shan State. It was established with the
purpose of preserving the archeological site of the Pyadalin
limestone caves, to conserve the surrounding environment
and habitat for mammals like Wild Elephants, Gaur, Leopard,
Banteng, Sambar, many species of monkeys and many species
of birds. The sanctuary is an important watershed area for the
Kingda dam. The climate is hot and dry in lower elevation and
moderate in higher elevation, with average rainfall recorded
between 1,250 – 2,000 mm per year.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Moist upper and dry upper mixed deciduous forests and
deciduous dipterocarp (Indaing) forest are the forest types of
the site. A new species of lizard, Cyrtodactylus chrysopylos, was
discovered in 2003 by the California Academy of Science.
MANAGEMENT
Annual operation plan
Management actions in place:
• Environmental education
Management problems:
• Budget
74 75
THREATS
INSIDE
• Logging & Wood Harvesting
OUTSIDE
• Housing & Urban Areas
• Man power
Required actions:
• To build a field office and guard posts
• Settlement for the encroaching people
• Provision of communication and field equipments
STAFF / RESOURCES
The site is administered by the Nature and Wildlife
Conservation Division of the Forest Department. The office
with 12 staff for the site is located at Ywa Ngan town. Four
ranger posts have been built. Local and international trainings
were given for the staff.
TOURISM
The site is easily accessible all season to local tourists who can
reach it by car 37 km east from Kume on Yangon Mandalay
Highway.
The main attractions are the two limestone Pyadalin caves
located in the Panlaung forest reserve. The smaller contains
paintings that are over 11,000 years old, dated between the
Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. Both caves contain over
1,600 stone relics and many animal and human bones and
red ochre.
LAND USE AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES
INSIDE
• Conservation
• Recreation
OUTSIDE
• Agriculture
Myanmar Protected Areas