Tram Chim National Park - The green treasure of Dong Thap Muoi

From National Highway 1 to the intersection near My Thuan cable-stayed bridge on the way to the West, turn onto Provincial Road 30, drive about 30km to Cao Lanh City - the capital of Dong Thap province and another 30km along the Tien River to Thanh Binh town. From here, there is an asphalt road running straight to Tam Nong district, about 4km to Tram Chim National Park.

Tram Chim has a natural area of ​​7,588 hectares, located in 5 communes: Tan Cong Sinh, Phu Duc, Phu Tho, Phu Thanh, Phu Hiep. The park is located in the middle of the lowland of Dong Thap Muoi. In the rainy season, the entire area is flooded, some places are nearly 3m deep. In the dry season, the land is severely dry. Tram Chim National Park is a type of remaining flooded forest with a "unique" habitat in Indochina. This is one of 8 important birds preserving areas, accounting for about 1/4 of the bird species in Vietnam.

Tram Chim has 32 species of birds of conservation value, 12 species are listed in the Vietnam Red Book such as white-winged ducks, crested kites, red kites, brown-backed owls, black eagles, red-throated magpies, yellow-throated vireo, etc.

The fauna and flora here include 198 species of waterfowl, more than 50 species of fish and reptiles, and 191 species of plants, nearly 3,000 hectares of cajuput and 1,000 hectares of wild rice, lotus, water lily, reeds, sedge, etc. creating a beautiful natural landscape with immense rivers, cajuput forests, endless fields and rich vegetation. The land of “Six months of walking on foot, six months of walking on hand” is a biological museum, a unique and attractive eco-tourism center that attracts many visitors to visit, study, research, etc.

Coming to Tram Chim during the flood season from August to November, taking a boat around or through the fields and forests, visitors will feel the wonderful beauty of a wild marshland.

The dry season, from late December to early May every year, is when red-crowned cranes fly to Tram Chim to live and find food. Flocks of cranes fly from the fields of Thailand and Cambodia to look for food in large numbers. Water chestnuts are the favorite food of the cranes, even though they have to fly hundreds of kilometers. Visitors may witness strangeand extremely attractive scenes. Many red-crowned cranes are nearly 2m tall, with smooth grey feathers, long legs and necks, wide wings, and feet in the same direction when flying. They gather on large, open areas in the reed fields, fluttering and dancing in rhythmic dances and calling for mates, often at sunset when the dim sun is about to set over the grasslands.

The reed field is being plucked by cranes

We got on a small boat and went into A1 area Tram Chim. The boat ran at a moderate speed so that visitors could visit both sides of the road. There were many birds foraging in the fields. Hearing the sound of the motorboat engine approaching, a flock of hundreds of teals suddenly flew high up and spread their wings towards the deep green cajuput forest in the distance. There were a few kingfishers wearing blue coats, calmly perched on the cajuput branches. Several bright red-crested, dark green-feathered, tail-whistling birds appeared and disappeared in the grass along the canal bank. A rather large snake swam across the bow of the boat, startling us. It crossed the river, hiding in the shadow of the boat to avoid being eaten by the lapwing.

After crossing a part of the Tram Chim canal, the boat turned into a small creek full of lotus. Lotus grew all over the path. From the observation deck, one could see a whole primeval Melaleuca forest, layer upon layer, with large, towering trunks and leaves rustling in the early morning wind.

Tram Chim Observatory

In the center of Tram Chim National Park, there is an observation deck about 20m high, visitors can follow the sturdy steps up to the deck. From above, one can see far away. Tram Chim appears as a colorful natural picture with vast cajuput forests, fields of reed grass, lotus, and wild rice growing green, creating a rich and unique flooded ecosystem. When the flood season comes, the whole area puts on a green coat, birds fly all over the sky, creating an attractive and poetic scene.

Tram Chim appears as a colorful natural picture with vast cajuput forests, fields of reed grass, lotus, and wild rice

Currently, Tram Chim National Park is invested by the State, upgraded and expanded into a natural museum, an attractive eco-tourism center. Many international nature conservation organizations have also sponsored to maintain, develop and protect Tram Chim. In particular, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has conducted survey and research programs to support Tram Chim National Park in conserving the biodiversity of its unique ecological environment./.

By Hai Ho - Translated by Q. Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/tram-chim-hoang-da-bau-vat-xanh-cua-dong-thap-muoi-a191674.html