Menipo Island

The Menipo National Park in Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara Province is run by Nature Resources and Conservation Association (Balai Besar Konservasi dan Sumber Daya Alam / BBKSD). Helped by local volunteers the association preserve the environment of Menipo National Park.

Although Menipo is often called an island it is in fact part connected directly to Timor Island. A strait seperates the two islands at high tide. At high tide part of Menipo will be underwater making it looks like a separated island. This park is 2,449.5 hectare wide and was instated on Decmber 28th, 1992 by Secretary of the Environment.

There are some unique species living here, one of them is the Timor Deer. The Timor Deer is and endangared animal and protected for there are only a few remaining. The Deer is popular for hunters and poachers to catch. The association and the local volunteers help to protect the animal from poachers in order to make sure this animal does not, like so many, becomes instinct.

Close the the Menipo National Park is a beautiful beach which has become a very popular place. Luckily for nature it is not very popular with people, but it is popular for female sea-turtles to lay their eggs. They always look for quiet white sand beach to lay their eggs. You can visit this beach and see for yourself how sea-turtles lay the eggs. Best to come at night as they don't like the light.

One adult sea-turtles can lay 50-250 eggs at a time. They will bury them under the stand. After a few weeks the small baby turtle will come out and dig its way out and go to the sea. Most of the baby turtles will have died before reaching the sea though. Also, because sea-turtles are often hunted for the shellsthey have become a protected animal as well.

So visiting Menipo Park will not only be lots of fun, but you will also learn amazing stuff about nature.