Penang National Park - FOUR years later at Teluk Duyung

Penang National Park was declared in April 2003. As of June 2007, it will be more than 4 years. There were many changes - BIG development but little in upholding the concept of national park.

The other day, a friend told me that the beaches are clean, the area well kept and his double thumbs up for PNP! Eager to share his joy and to know the truth, I personally visited Teluk Duyung @ Monkey Beach @ Muka Head (they mean the same beach). These were my discoveries:-

BIG development. New office at the entrance to Penang National Park. Congratulation.

The signboard reads :

PENANG NATIONAL PARK PUBLIC NOTICE Do you know?
1. Enter and do activities (eg Research, camping) in the National Park with permission from the authority.
2. Take good care of flora and fauna /biodiversity /natural resources in the National Park, let them live free.
3. Pets or exotic plants will interfere and disturb natural ecosystem of the National park.
4. Ensure the cleanliness of the National Park, littered rubbish will be sore to the eye and experience.
5. Cook only at fire place, beware, fire can cause forest fire and scared the wildlife.
6. Authorised nature guide are well trained, they will enrich your experience while you are here. 7. Keep the tranquility of National Park, keep your voice down, you might encounter with interesting wildlife.

Now you know, you are starting on hike into some of the most beautiful wilderness our country has left. Only you keep it that way.

This direction sign at USM's station. Nice?

My friend was "right" - clean beach. Everything perfect. They called it "show room", "book cover", "the front" or the "face". Everything must look good from the front!

But WAIT....please continue below to see the worms!!

New toilets being erected as they please. There are more toilets over the other side.

Suddenly rubbish appeared.

No 5 of the notice above....."beware, fire can cause forest fire and scared the wildlife".

Notice No 3 reads:

Pets or exotic plants will interfere and disturb natural ecosystem of the National park.

Here you can see chicken rearing.

Coconuts harvesting too.

Nice bamboo hut built by immigrant workers! Perhaps a new tourist attraction in Penang National Park!

Where do the bamboo sourced from?

"Imported from Burma".

Nice bridge. Where do you think they get their material to build the bridge?

From here. By chopping the tree!

Note the background...rubber tapping!

Notice No 2 reads:

Take good care of flora and fauna / biodiversity / natural resources in the National Park, let them live free. (Talk only!)

Aquaculture in the park.

They talk about banning aquaculture near the entrance to PNP....about the pollution & silting from the fish in the cages. How about this one? Right inside the park!

FYI, I was shooed out by the foreigners when I took this picture. I think the foreigners have more right than me now!!!




Puppies in the park!

Notice No 3:

Pets or exotic plants will interfere and disturb natural ecosystem of the National park.

I wonder how many wildlife these puppies have killed - frogs, crabs, rodents, musang (civet cat), etc

This one infront of the rundown old Boon Siew bungalows.

On the trail back, (which nobody can miss it), I saw this eye sore - it is a cozy corner for the anglers!

Conclusion :

I would want to ask my friend again. Perhaps he is colorblind!