Myanmar has a rapidly expending protected area system. The country has several different categories of protected areas and each serves various functions according to its legislation and operating objectives. Wildlife sanctuaries are lands preserved and protected from human activity that may disturb the wildlife.

As of June 2004, there were 20 wildlife sanctuaries. National parks are lands that are gazette to preserve and protect the natural environment, especially for the purpose of education, recreation and tourism. Further to June 2004, there were five terrestrial national parks. There is also one marine national park, Lampi Island of Mergui Archipelago. Moreover, the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range encompasses 677.88 square miles for birds and large mammal conservation.

Name	Year	Area/Acres	Sq.Miles	Location
Pidaung Wilife Sanctuary	1918	172,452	269.46	Kachin State
Shwe U Daung Wildlife Sanctuary	1918	51,106	79.85	Mandalay Division
Shwe U Daung Wildlife Sanctuary	1929	29,440	46	Shan State
Pyin Oo Lwin Bird Sanctuary	1918	31,443	49.13	Mandalay Division
Moscos Islands Wildlife Sanctuary	1927	12,153	18.99	Taninthari Division
Khahilu Wildlife Sanctuary	1928	39,673	61.99	Karen State
Taunggyi Bird Sanctuary	1930	3,968	6.2	Shan State
Mulayit Wildlife Sanctuary	1936	34,233	53.49	Karen State
Wethtikan Bird Sanctuary	1939	1,088	1.70	Magwe Division
Shwesetttaw Wildlife Sanctuary	1940	136,576	213.4	Magwe Division
Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary	1941	66,273	104	Sagaing Division
Kelatha Wildlife Sanctuary	1942	6,048	9.45	Mon State
Thamihla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary	1970	217.6	0.34	Ayeyarwaddy Division
Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary	1971	531,456	830.4	Sagaing Division
Minwuntaung Wildlife Sanctuary	1972	508,73	79.49	Sagaing Division
Hlawga Park	1982	1,540	2.41	Yangon Division
Inle Wetland Bird Sanctuary	1985	158,720	248	Shan State
Moeyungyi Wetland Bird Sanctuary	1988	25,600	40	Bago Division
Alaungdaw Katthapa National Park	1989	394,779	616	Sagaing Division
Poppa Mountain Park	1989	31,763	49.63	Mandalay Division
Meinmahla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary	1993	33,776	52.78	Ayeyarwaddy Division
Lampi Island Marine National Park	1996	50,617	79.09	Tanintharyi Division
Hkakaborizi National Park	1996	942,080	1,472	Kachin State
Loimwe Protected Area	1996	10,585	16.54	Shan State
Parsar Protected Area	1996	19,032	29.74	Shan State
Natmataung National Park	1997	178,560	279	Chin State
Lawkananda Wildlife Sanctuary	1997	115	0.18	Mandalay Division
Indawgyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary	1999	191,564	299.32	Kachin State
Kyaikhtiyoe Wildlife Sanctuary	2001	38,606	60	Mon State
Minsonetaung Wildlife Sanctuary	2001	5,584	8,725	Mandalay Division
Hukaung Vally Wildlife Sanctuary	2001	1,596,160	2,494	Kachin State
Kyauk Pan Taung Wildlife Sanctuary	2001	32,768	51	Chin State
Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary	2001	668,160	1,044	Kachin State
Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range	2002	433,843	678	Rakhine State
Panlaung Pyadalin Cave Wildlife Sanctuary	2002	82,483	129	Shan State
Mahamying Wildlife Sanctuary	2002	291,680	455	Sagaing Division
Lenya National Park	2002	436,480	682	Tanintharyi Division
Taninthatyi National Park	2002	640,000	1,000	Tanintharyi Division
Bamphabum Wildlife Sanctuary	2002	460,160	719	Kachin State
TOTAL AREA		7,891,661	12,331

1: Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park

Location	Located in Minkin township, Sagaing Division
Area	620.35 Square miles
Set up	Established in 1941 as a Wild Life sanctuary and opened as a National Park in 1984
Accessibility	981 miles from Yangon by car. The most convenience way is flying to Mandalay and proceeds to Monywa by car. Mandalay to Monywa is about 86 miles. Monywa to Alaungdawkathapa is estimated 60 miles by car.
Forest Type	Moist Upper Mixed Deciduous Forests, Dry upper Mixed Deciduous Forests, Indaing Forests and Pine Forests can be observed.
Tour Activities	Visiting and conducting research in the least disturbed forest types, Observing inland avifauna species, Study of the growing condition of Indaing and Pine forests.

2: Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary

Location	Located in Kantbalu Township of Sagaing Division
Area	103.55 Square miles
Set up	Established in 1941
Accessibility	Yangon via Mandalay to Chattin is 502 miles by rail. Another route is Yangon via Mandalay to Shwebo and than proceed to Chattin by car is 657 miles.
Forest Type	Low and high Indaing Forests, Flooded Indaing Forests, Upper Mixed Deciduous Forests & Grass Savana Matric Forests
Tour Activities	Dry Forest Ecosystem can be observed. Natural beauty of ‘Kye-Inn’ can be enjoyed. Estimated 1530 of deer and 158 species of birds can be seen.

3: Hlawga Park

Location	Located in Mingalardon Township of Yangon Division.
Area	1540 acres
Set up	Established in 1982
Accessibility	22 miles to the north of Yangon.
Forest Type	Semi- evergreen forests, Mixed deciduous Forests and Swamp Forests.
Tour Activities	Deer, hog deer, barking deer, sambar deer etc can be seen in their natural state. Enjoyment of out door recreation such as picnic sites, traditional huts, boats and elephant rides. Individual or group bird watching tour can be conducted.

4: Indawgyi Lake Wildlife Sanctuary

Location	Existed in Mohnyin Township of Kachin State.
Area	299.32 Square miles
Set up	Established in 1999
Accessibility	Yangon to Mohnyin is 639 miles by rail and Mohnyin- hopin- lontone is 72 miles by car.
Forest Type
Tour Activities	Bird watching, orchid study,

5: Inlay Lake wet land sanctuary

Location	Located in Nyaung Shwe Township of Southern Shan State
Area	642.32 square miles
Set up	Established in 1985
Accessibility	Yangon to Heho by air way 335 miles and Heho to Nyaung Shwe by car 14 miles. Yangon via Thazi to Shwe Nyaung, 320 miles by train and Shwe Nyaung to Nyaung Shwe, 10 miles by car
Forest Type
Tour Activities	Bird watching, observation of wet land ecosystem 2950 feet above sea level, study the traditional floating agriculture

6: KHAKABORAZI NATIONAL PARK

Location	Located in Naung Mong Township of Kachin State
Area	1472 square miles
Set up	Established in 1996
Accessibility	Yangon to Myitkyina is 920 miles by car or 723 miles by train and miles by flight. Myitkyina- Puta o- Naung Mong is 253 miles by car.
Forest Type	Evergreen forests, Hill Pine Forests are present.
Tour Activities	Climbing snow- capped mountains, study the origin of Ayeyawaddy river, Enjoyment of natural beauty, observing traditional culture, custom and ways of life of local ethnic.

7: MOEYUNGYI WETLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Location	Located in Bago and Waw township
Area	40 square miles
Set up	Established in 1986
Accessibility	70 miles from Yangon by car
Forest Type	More than 20 species of aquatic grass and herb are present
Tour Activities	Watching resident and migratory water birds and shore birds and enjoyment of natural scenic view. Boat riding and studying around wetland environment.

8: MYAING HAY WUN ELEPHANT CAMP

Location	Located in Taikkyi Township, Yangon Division
Area	10 acres
Set up	Established in 1986
Accessibility	116 kilometers from Yangon by car
Forest Type
Tour Activities	Hiking, observing the training elephants, study capture of wild elephants, riding elephant.

9: MEINMAHLA KYUN WILDLIFE SANTUARY

Location	Located in Bogalay Township, Ayeyawaddy Division
Area	52.79 square miles
Set up	Established in 1986
Accessibility	Yangon to Meinmahla Kyun is 111 miles by water way
Forest Type	Mangrove species are present.
Tour Activities	Study mangrove ecosystem and reintroduction of estuarine crocodile, bird watching

10: NAT MA TAUNG NATIONAL PARK

Location	Located in Kanpetlet Township of Chin State
Area	279 square miles
Set up	Established in 1994
Accessibility	Yangon to Bagan-Nyaung u by flight is 320 miles. Bagan-Nyaung U to KanPetLet is 98 miles by car or Bagan-Nyaung U to Mindut is 128 miles by car.
Forest Type	Hill Evergreen Forests, Moist Upper Mixed Deciduous Forests, Pine forests and Hill Savana are present.
Tour Activities	Mountaineering , bird watching, Orchid tours, meeting Chin hill tribe who has their own dialect, culture and tradition.

11: NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDEN

Location	Located in Pyin Oo Lwin of Mandalay Division.
Area	344.81 acres
Set up	Established in 1915
Accessibility	Yangon via Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin is 472 miles by car. Yangon to Mandalay by air is 400 miles and Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin is 42 miles by car.
Forest Type	42 species of indigenous Orchids, 25 species of rose, 6 species of Land lily and 344 species of Forest trees are present.
Tour Activities	Rest and recreation, study botanical activities.

12: POPA MOUNTAIN PARK

Location	Located in Kyaukpadaung Township of Mandalay Division
Area	49.63 square miles
Set up	Established in 1983
Accessibility	Yangon- Pyay- Kyaukpadaung- Popa is 412 miles by car. Yangon- Meikhtila- Kyaukpadaung- Popa is 400 miles by car. Yangon to Nyaung U by air is 320 miles and 37 miles by car to Popa.
Forest Type	Hill Evergreen Forests, Pine Forests and Hill Grassland are present.
Tour Activities	Enjoyment of the natural beauty of Popa.

13: SEIN YE FOREST CAMP

Location	Located in Oaktwin township of Bago Division
Area	102 acres
Set up	Establishedin 1996
Accessibility	Yangon- Oaktwin- Sein Ye is 186 miles by car.
Forest Type	Moist Upper Mixed Deciduous Forests, Dry Upper Mixed Deciduous Forests and Lower Mixed Deciduous Forests are present
Tour Activities	Study natural teakwood, natural orchids, working timber elephants and natural wildlife and their environment.

14: SHWESETTAW WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Location	Located in Minbu township of Magway Division
Area	213.4 square miles
Set up	Established in 1940
Accessibility	Yangon to Magwe is 331 miles by car, cross the Ayeyarwaddy River on the Magwe bridge to Minbu and proceed to Shwesettaw by car is 30 miles.
Forest Type	Dry Deciduous Forest is present.
Tour Activities	Watching Myanmar Golden Deer and observing the dry zone eco system.

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Myanmar Ecotourism and the Protected Area System