Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
Tanjung Tuan (also known as Cape Rachado) is a rocky promontory, which faces the Straits of Melaka in the west. The site offers the shortest water crossing (38 km) to and from Tanjung Medang, the extreme north point of Pulau Rupat, a small island adjacent to Sumatra, west Indonesia for at least five species of migrating raptors (DWNP, 1994).Coral reefs can only be found here in the west coast of the peninsula (Goh and Sasekumar, 1980). Tanjung Tuan is also a national historical and heritage site. The lighthouse is the oldest in the country. It is still being used as a guide for shipping and had been operational since during the Portuguese conquest (16
th century) of Melaka. The waters off the area contain several old shipping wrecks as there were several sea battles during various periods for the control of maritime trade along the Straits. Tanjung Tuan is also a recreational area, which is popular with the weekend crowd.
Tanjung Tuan is Malaysia's most important site for migratory raptors in South-east Asia (Zalles and Bildstein, 2000). Large numbers of migrating raptors especially the Crested Honey-Buzzard have been recorded since 1960s congregating at this bottleneck promontory during their spring migration therefore qualifying for nomination under category A4iv Congregations (Wells, 1974, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990a, 1990b; White, 1961; Yeap, 2000, 2003; Medway and Nisbet, 1965, 1967, 1968; Medway and Wells, 1964; Jeyarajasingam
et al., 2000b). Fifty-four species of birds have been recorded in the reserve (DWNP, 1994).
Non-bird biodiversity: (I) Globally threatened mammals (IUCN, 2002): VULNERABLE: Smooth Otter Lutrogale perspicillata; NEAR THREATENED: Long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularisSilver leaf monkey(II) Globally threatened reptiles (IUCN, 2002): ENDANGERED: Green Turtle Chelonia mydas(III) Globally threatened plants (IUCN, 2002): CRITICAL: Dipterocarpus kerii
The area is entirely hilly and steep. Four types of vegetation have been identified at Tanjung Tuan (DWNP, 1994).Coastal mangrove forest found in small patches in the east and southeast part of the area.
Brugueira sp. is the dominant species of the forest type.Coastal beach forest in the west and eastern side of the reserve, dominated by
Terminalia catappa, Eugenia sp. and
Xylopia sp. Lowland dipterocarp forest covers 80% of the total area, dominated by
Shorea sp. and
Dipterocarpus sp.Scrub vegetation is found in areas which has been burned previously.Tanjung Tuan has the last remaining stand of lowland dipterocarp forest, which reaches down to the coastal waters of the Straits of Melaka.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Tanjung Tuan is one of the three remaining Virgin Jungle Reserves in the Melaka State. Several identified threats include the following;{traffic associated with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport may pose a danger to the migrating raptors (Anon., 2000).{development by illegal settlers.{pollution from sewage and oil spills.{of the coast.{development pressure (e.g. proliferation of resorts, condominiums and apartments).
The area is a State land gazetted under the Melaka State Government Gazette Plan Bil. 85, February 4, 1971 as a Wildlife Sanctuary. It was previously gazetted as a Permanent Forest Reserve in 1921 with a total of 93.08ha. However, the Reserve was excised for development, leaving a Virgin Jungle Reserve established in 1953 with the present area. The coastal waters off Pulau Besar and Tanjung Tuan is gazetted as a Fisheries Prohibited Area under the Fisheries Regulation (Prohibited Areas) (Amendment) 1998.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tanjung Tuan (Malaysia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tanjung-tuan-iba-malaysia on 23/11/2024.
