Bali Wildlife

Despite many centuries of intensive agriculture, Bali remains rich in plants and wildlife.  At least  282 bird species have been recorded from the island, of which about 150 are relatively common.   The best known species, the Bali Starling or Rothschild's Mynah, occurs only in one small area of West Bali.  In spite of intense, albeit belated, government conservation efforts, Bali's national bird is facing imminent extinction in the wild.    However, a private last-ditch innitiative by Bayu, a dedicated Balinese veterinarian, to establish a breeding population on the small island of Nusa Penida may yet prove successful.    Bali's only endemic mammal, the Bali Tiger, became extinct in the 1930s.

Almost 14% of Bali (mostly in the West of the island) is designated as a National Park, intended as a wildlife refuge and secure from human intervention.  Very few facilities are provided for visitors wishing to enter the West Bali National Park (Taman Nasional Bali Barat).  Unfortunately, the park is coming under increasing threat from developers and from migrant worker camps.  

Mammals in the West Bali National Park include muntjak, banteng, chevrotain, pangolin, cuscus, slow loris, wild pig, black panther, macaque and leaf monkeys.  The waters around Menjangan Island, also within the park boundary, support five species of marine turtle as well as dolphin and dugong.  A private program to save the highly threatened turtle population has been developed in the village of Pemuteran on the North-West coast   This has proved very successful, and is serving as a model for other conservation programs elsewhere in Bali.

The following pictures illustrate a few examples of Bali's colorful wildlife.

Picture Credits:

Photography by John Cooke.