Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

located in the

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

Abuyog Abuyog (IPA: �ɐ'bujog, officially the Municipality of Abuyog ( war, Bungto han Abuyog; ceb, Lungsod sa Abuyog; tl, Bayan ng Abuyog), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...

and

Baybay Baybay (IPA: aɪ'baɪ, officially the City of Baybay ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Baybay; war, Syudad han Baybay), is a 1st class component city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It has a population of 111,848 people. With an area of , it is the ...

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

island of

Eastern Visayas Eastern Visayas ( war, Sinirangan Kabisay-an; ceb, Sidlakang Kabisay-an; tl, Silangang Kabisayaan or ''Silangang Visayas'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region VIII. It consists of three main islands, Samar, ...

. The park covers an area of 364 hectares deep within the mountainous forests of

Leyte Island Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

some south of

Tacloban Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...

via the

Maharlika Highway The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway ( tl, Daang Maharlika; ceb, Dalang Halangdon), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao i ...

. It was declared a national park in 1937 by virtue of Proclamation No. 142.

Topography and ecology

Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park lies at the southern fringe of the Anonang-Lobi Range that runs north to south through western Leyte. This mountain range consists of the highest peaks in Leyte Island including Mount Burauen Graben, Mount Camaiyak and Mount Lobi, the highest at 1,346 m. Mount Maganjan at 754 m. is the most prominent peak nearest to the park. The park is covered in most parts by

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological feature ...

. It is home to three bird species endemic to the Eastern Visayas region, the

Samar hornbill The Samar hornbill (''Penelopides samarensis'') is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests on the islands of Samar, Calicoan, Leyte and Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa ...

Visayan broadbill The Visayan broadbill (''Sarcophanops samarensis'') is a species of bird in the family Eurylaimidae where it was previously conspecific with the wattled broadbill. It is endemic to the islands of Samar, Leyte and Bohol in the central Philippine ...

, and

yellow-breasted tailorbird The yellow-breasted tailorbird (''Orthotomus samarensis'') is a species of passerine bird formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage, but now placed in the family Cisticolidae. Distribution The species is endemic to Samar, Leyte and B ...

. The Philippine deer,

Philippine warty pig The Philippine warty pig (''Sus philippensis'') is one of four known species in the pig genus ('' Sus'') endemic to the Philippines. The other three endemic species are the Visayan warty pig (''S. cebifrons''), Mindoro warty pig (''S. oliveri'') ...

and

tarsier Tarsiers ( ) are haplorhine primates of the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all of its species living today are found in Maritime Southeas ...

are also found here.

Topography and ecology

References

See also