The Nearest Forest to Kuala Lumpur

I visited to my friend's house last one month ago and saw from his house a green forest along a hill in Kapong area. Then I straightaway asked him if possible to climb up the small hill and trek across the forest so the sake of my stupid hobby :). He answered me it is very convenient to do so as it has been developed as a forest reserve since long time ago. In fact, Forest Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) is the nearest forest to Kuala Lumpur.

Last 80 years ago, the place was vegetable gardens and shrubby forest where abandoned tin mine wastes. In 1926 and since then, foresters and scientists started develop the forest in nature by British government's support. Nowadays, it is an ideal place to research for forest ecology in forest science park. Aside of these forestry and scientific knowledge center, the park fosters as leisure picnic place and jungle trekking. There is a diversity of animal lives, and believed to be existed wild boars and small species of foxes (I saw the wild boar trails somewhere in the forest).

I leaved my house about half pass eight in the morning and took a KTM to Kapong Sentral then hired a taxi to FRIM. The taxi driver dropped me at the gate of FRIM. Walking the to information center from the gate took about twenty minutes. A number of people for the jogging and biking on the way into the park. The information center is located in the building D6. I went in the center but they gave fliers and leaflets but no information provided personally. I bought a ticket for canopy walk.


I bought takeaway lunch for myself and started to trek up to the hill which is about 70 minutes as I was on my way to trek and spot the birds along the trail. I spotted White-Rumped Shama which is the major highlight of FRIM (later I was told by a nature staff from FRIM) on the way to canopy walk. Incidentally, in the middle of the trek, I met a man with two Japanese tourists (I am not quiet sure where are they from) and asked me "are you a birdwatcher???" apparently I am a guy with a binocular and looking to the up trees :) then I replied him happily "yes I am". We introduced each other and agreed to meet him down there in the base camp next 2 hours.


I continued up trekking until most likely the peak of the hill (1000 feet) and viewed the panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur from the canopy walkway. My picnic lunch was had near the waterfall and subsequently I trekked back the same way to the base camp. I met Mohd Zain near the information center together with his young son. He led us in the selah walk for half an hour with technical explanation about the FRIM and the nature of the plants as well as the resident animals. I must say he is very knowledgeable and nature lover. Furthermore, he is a good birdwatcher and bird guide for FRIM. We spotted together a few species before I left the park. He sent me until the entrance gate with his motor after our conversation about birds and nature in general.

Afterward, I ringed my friend to fetch me to his home in the early evening. He hosted me a bottle of Chivas Regal with varieties of foods. Finally, his family sent the happy and drunk amateur birdwatcher to his home in the very late evening :P

Private Bird List of FRIM

- Common Flame Back Woodpecker
- Black-Browed Barbet
- House Swift
- Asian Palm Swift (not confirmed)
- Green Imperial Pigeon
- White-Rumped Shama
- Peaceful Dove (I always wrongly mention as Spotted Dove)
- Large-Billed Crow
- Common Iora
- Black-Naped Oriole
- Oriental Magpie Robin
- Crested Myna
- Red-Whiskered Bulbul (not confirmed)


Ref:
- FRIM official website
- Wiki encyclopedia
- Birds of South-East Asia by Craig Robson
- Mohd Zain - FRIM

Photo:
- xiaoloongzi
- Markus Seibel
- botany hawaii