VIENTIANE, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Laos has announced a new national park, which spans 133,500 hectares in southern Salavan and Sekong provinces, in a bid to safeguard complex biodiversity, according to a recent report from the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The designation of the Xesap Protected Forest as a national park will facilitate better management and protection of its complex biodiversity in this mountainous region, said the report.
The Xesap Protected Forest is one of 18 Protected Forest Areas in Laos. It is home to 874 known species of animals and plants, including 32 fish species, 558 plant species, 190 bird species, 28 amphibian species, 36 reptile species, and 30 mammal species. ■
