Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range

Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range
Map showing the location of Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range
Location in Myanmar
LocationThandwe and Gwa Townships, Rakhine State,  Myanmar
Nearest cityGwa
Coordinates18°00′0″N 94°45′0″E / 18.00000°N 94.75000°E / 18.00000; 94.75000
Area1,755.7 km2 (677.9 sq mi)[1]
Established2002[1]
Governing bodyMyanmar Forest Department[1]

Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range is a place in Myanmar that is a home for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). People are not allowed to build things or hurt animals. It is in Rakhine Yoma mountains. It is about about 1,756 km2 (678 sq mi) in size. Most of the land in the range is forest with evergreen trees and some trees with wide leaves. The range is from 20–1,270 m (66–4,167 ft) above sea level.[2]

Even though the range was made for elephants, many other plants and animals live there. The range has many bamboo plants (Melocanna baccifera), and the endangered Arakan forest turtle (Heosemys depressa) lives in the bamboo.[3]

In 2000, people put up a camera to look at the animals. They saw large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).[4][5]

In 2001, people saw Bufo crocus was discovered near a stream 83 m (272 ft) above sea level.[6] In 2001, people saw bent-toed geckos Cyrtodactylus ayeyarwadyensis and Cyrtodactylus wakeorum. No scientists had written about seeing them before. Scientists wrote the first paper about them in 2003.[7] People saw western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) in 2008.[8] People also saw gaur (Bos gaurus), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), pale-capped pigeon (Columba punicea), white-winged duck (Asarcornis scutulata) and beautiful nuthatch (Sitta formosa).[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 World Database on Protected Areas (2019). "Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range". Protected Planet.
  2. ↑ Beffasti, L.; Gallanti, V., eds. (2011). "Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range" (PDF). Myanmar Protected Areas: Context, Current Status and Challenges. Milano, Yangon: Istituto Oikos, Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association. pp. 84–85.
  3. ↑ Platt, S. G.; Myo, K. M.; Ko, W. K.; Maung, A.; Rainwater, T. R. (2010). "Field observations and conservation of Heosemys depressa in the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range of western Myanmar" (PDF). Chelonian Conservation and Biology. 9 (1): 114–119. doi:10.2744/CCB-0813.1. S2CID 86775422.[dead link]
  4. ↑ Than Zaw; Saw Htun; Saw Htoo Tha Po; Myint Maung; Lynam, A. J.; Kyaw Thinn Latt; Duckworth, J. W. (2008). "Status and distribution of small carnivores in Myanmar". Small Carnivore Conservation. 38: 2–28.
  5. ↑ Than Zaw; Than Myint; Saw Htun; Saw Htoo Tha Po; Kyaw Thinn Latt; Myint Maung; Lynam A. J. (2014). "Status and distribution of smaller felids in Myanmar" (PDF). Cat News (Special Issue 8): 24–30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  6. ↑ Wogan, G. O.; Win, H.; Thin, T.; Lwin, K. S.; Shein, A. K.; Kyi, S. W.; Tun, H. (2003). "A new species of Bufo (Anura: Bufonidae) from Myanmar (Burma), and redescription of the little known species Bufo stuarti Smith 1929" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 54 (7): 141−153.[dead link]
  7. ↑ Bauer, A. M. (2003). "Descriptions of seven new Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with a key to the species of Myanmar (Burma)" (PDF). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 54 (25): 463–498. S2CID 129933095. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-20.
  8. ↑ Geissmann, T.; Grindley, M.; Momberg, F.; Lwin, N.; Moses, S. (2009). "Hoolock gibbon and biodiversity survey and training in southern Rakhine Yoma, Myanmar" (PDF). Gibbon Journal. 5: 7–27.
  9. ↑ Aung Kyaw (2014). Case study on Rakhine Yoma (PDF). Mekong Protected Areas and Climate Change Implications for Livelihoods and Development.