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...KAMPUNG KUANTAN FIREFLIES PARK KEEP US GLOWING...







Friday, December 24, 2010

How To Get There

By Car
            Kuala Selangor is about an hour away from the Kuala Lumpur. Take the North-South expressway, exit at Sungai Buloh. Follow signs to Sungai Buloh. You should be on route 54. It takes you all the way to Kuala Selangor. For Kampung Kuantan, look out for route B77 or signs to "Kelip-Kelip".

By Bus
            Take Bus no.141 from platform 23 at the main bus terminal, Puduraya Bus Station in KL. The tickets are bought on the bus. Departure every half an hour from 6.30am.

Attractions Of Kampung Kuantan, Berembang Tree.

The Berembang Tree



The scientific name of Berembang tree is called "Sonneratia Caselaris" and is a type of mangrove tree that grows wild near the banks of Selangor River where the damp and swampy environment cause it to grow well. Besides being a source of food for the fireflies, it also acts as a filter that filters the dirt and poison from the river that produces clean water for the other living creatures. The living creatures that thrives here are the crabs, fish, birds and prawns.

Attractions Of Kampung Kuantan, Cruising Along The River.


The best time to visit the park is after nightfall at approximately 7:30pm to 7:45pm. It is also advisable to go when it is not full moon and not during raining evening. Usually the place is quite packed during the weekends hence try to go during weekdays. One should take note that once the kelip kelip has found its mate, the flashing would stop, usually by 11.00 pm. Make sure that you do not go too late as the park is opened from 7:00pm and closes at 11:00pm.

            One will have to purchase a ticket costing RM10 per person to take a canoe ride along the river. The ticket includes a bottle of drink and a 30 minutes to 45 minutes slow cruise along the river. Life jacket will be provided during the ride.

Attractions Of Kampung Kuantan, Fireflies Park.


Firefly, one of the fascinating beetle that abound in Malaysia at one time and is now fast disappearing due to the fast pace of development. Fortunately, there are still fireflies to be seen in Kuala Selangor. That was a Kampung Kuantan. When night falls, the fireflies will feed on the nectar of the leaves and attract mates with their synchronised flashing green light. The thorax of the insect produces a green grow that flashes at a frequency of 1/3 Hz, or 3 flashes in one second. Each of the berembang tree has different groups of fireflies and each group has flashes that are synchronised. species. 
The entrance to Kampung
Kuantan Fireflies Park


    Scientifically, the type of firefly found in Kuala Selangor belongs to the Pteroptyx tener species and is about 6cm in length. They have a lifespan of about 2-3 months.  Similar members can be found in lowland tropical rainforest to as high as the highlands, but usually, we will only find one or two individuals at a time. It is only here in Kuala Selangor that you find such large groups congregating together in a bright display of lights, much to the awe of visitors and tourists. The fireflies are only fond of one type of mangrove plant, which is the 'Berembang' tree or Sonneratia Caseolaris. The Berembang trees are one of many different types of vegetation that have adapted to life in a mangrove ecosystem. They grow in clumps along the edges of specific river sections. Two areas have been gazetted as firefly watching zones for tourists, namely Kampung Belimbing and Kampung Kuantan.
            
The picture of a typical firefly found here




History Of Kampung Kuantan

Kampung Kuantan was once a humble little village, not unlike many during the early years. But as industrialization set in later, this village suffered what many others did - Young folk moved away, fishermen and farmers living off the land found it difficult to eke out a living and the highways took away any chances of revival in the area.

            Then one day, a bunch of entomologists heard about the strange congregation of lights not too far from the village a place where millions of little green lights twinkled in the shadows of the night. The entomologists descended on the area like a swarm of bees to honey. That was in the 70's. But the beauty of the place was kept a secret until almost a decade ago. These twinkling lights helped the villagers revive their little town.
           
            Kampung Kuantan is a small village in Kuala Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia. Locate about 7 kilometers from Kuala Selangor town. One of the famous attractions is Kuala Selangor Fireflies. This village is well known with the incandescent glow of fireflies. These are the trees where the fireflies or "kelip kelip" in the local language stay and feed on its leaves. During the day, they retreat to the grasses near the mangrove trees.

            Today, Kampung Kuantan is well known both locally and internationally, for its unique heritage of the twinkling fireflies on mangrove tree species, called berembang. The "Berembang Tree" or known by its scientific name 'Sonneratia Caselaris' is a type of mangrove tree that grows wildly along the banks of Sungai Selangor. 

Thursday, December 23, 2010

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