Phu Wua ( th, ภูวัว) is a

wildlife sanctuary A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

northeastern Thailand Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...

, in

Bueng Kan Province Bueng Kan ( th, บึงกาฬ, , ), also spelled Bung Kan, is the 76th province (''changwat'') of Thailand, established by the Act Establishing Changwat Bueng Kan, BE 2554 (2011) on 23 March 2011. The province, consisting of the districts ...

. It covers an area of 186.5 km² of the districts Seka and Bung Khla.

Features

The wildlife preserve covers forested hills along the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river and the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annual ...

River, ranging between 160 and 448 m elevation. The highest hill is Phu Wua Lang Tham Sung. ''

Shorea obtusa ''Shorea obtusa'', the Siamese sal, is a species of hardwood tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae, native to Southeast Asia. Distribution and habitat ''Shorea obtusa'' is native to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It grows in relat ...

'' is the most common tree. The dry and wet virgin forests are interspersed with bamboo forests and grasslands. Wildlife of the sanctuary includes elephants, tigers, leopards, bears, pheasants, monkeys, and gibbons. The area was first surveyed in 1964, but the survey was halted due to the growing communist insurgency in the area. It took till 1974 for the forestry department to complete the survey and report the results to the government. On 2 May 1975 it was established as a wildlife sanctuary by royal decree.Royal gazette No. 92 chapter 87
(Thai only)

References

External links

Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary - Elephant Watering HoleVisit to a Forest Temple Cave in Phu Wua Wildlife SanctuaryElephant watching from a "tree house"
{{Wildlife sanctuaries of Thailand Wildlife sanctuaries of Thailand Geography of Bueng Kan province Protected areas established in 1975 1975 establishments in Thailand