Phu Pha Thoep National Park

Phu Pha Thoep National Park
อุทยานแห่งชาติภูผาเทิบ
IUCN category II (national park)
Map showing the location of Phu Pha Thoep National Park

Park location in Thailand

Location Mukdahan Province, Thailand
Nearest city Mukdahan
Coordinates 16°26′21″N 104°45′24″E / 16.43917°N 104.75667°E / 16.43917; 104.75667Coordinates: 16°26′21″N 104°45′24″E / 16.43917°N 104.75667°E / 16.43917; 104.75667
Area 48.5 km2 (20 sq mi)
Governing body Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Phu Pha Thoep National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติภูผาเทิบ), formerly known as Mukdahan National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติมุกดาหาร), is a national park in Mukdahan Province, Thailand. This park, one of the country's smallest national parks, is home to unusual rock formations and a cave with ancient hand paintings.[1]

Geography

Phu Pha Thoep National Park is located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) south of Mukdahan in Mueang and Don Tan districts. The park's area is 48.5 square kilometres (20 sq mi). The highest point is Phu Jongsi peak at 420 metres (1,400 ft).[2]

History

Phu Pha Thoep National Park is home to a cave with hand paintings estimated to be 3,000 to 5,000 years old. The cave name, Tham Fa Mue Daeng, means "red hand", referring to the red colour of the paintings.[1][2]

Attractions

Phu Tam Pra Waterfall is a scenic though mainly seasonal waterfall. Above this waterfall is a cave grotto housing a three-foot wide Buddha image along with hundreds of smaller wooden Buddha images and animal models.[1][2]

The park's namesake mountain Phu Pha Thoep hosts a complex of rocks in unusual eroded formations thought to resemble mushrooms, temples, swans etc.[1][2] The viewpoint atop Phu Mano affords views of Mukdahan city, the Mekong river and neighbouring Laos.[2]

Flora and fauna

The park features forest types including mixed and deciduous. Tree species include Malabar ironwood, Burmese ebony, makha, rosewood, heang (a dipterocarp), tiew (in the Guttiferae family), wild champaka, Moulmein cedar, Siamese sal and ingyin.[2]

Animal species include deer and wild boar. The park's many birds include junglefowl, green peafowl and pheasant.[2]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, January 14, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.