Normally, to get to Bau Sau, you start from the Administrative Center of Cat Tien National Park, go through 9 km of road and walk more than 5 km through the forest. However, my companions and I decided to walk the entire 14 km to fully experience the beauty of Nam Cat Tien forest.
Overwhelmed by the beauty of Nam Cat Tien forest.
The trekking took me through beautiful forest paths at Cat Tien National Park.
Another very special highlight of Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai is the giant tung trees. This is a large tree species, with a muscular trunk and a long root system, deeply rooted in the ground, distributed in tropical forests around the world. Without having to travel all the way to Ta Prohm temple (Siem Riep, Cambodia), right at Cat Tien National Park, visitors can admire the majesty of the giant tung trees with their own eyes.
The tung tree, nicknamed "Thunder Lizard" in Cat Tien National Park, has a buttress higher than a person's head and stretches about 20m, while the tung tree on the trail through the forest into Bau Sau is of the same age, with its buttress, near the base, even twice as high as an adult.
The giant tung tree fascinates wanderers on the road.
The 9km road leading to Bau Sau is challenging but also full of fun.
The 9km road leading to Bau Sau is challenging but also full of fun.
My teammates and I finally arrived at Bau Sau after a challenging journey.
Bau Sau is located in the core area of Cat Tien National Park, under the direct management of Bau Sau ranger station. It is known that the name Bau Sau was formed before the decision to establish Cat Tien National Park was made. Bau Sau area is not only the home of crocodiles but also gathers many species of flora and fauna listed in the Vietnam and world Red Book.
At Bau Sau, we will stay overnight at Bau Sau ranger station.
What makes Bau Sau area different is that crocodiles live densely in the swamps. Crocodiles are present everywhere in Bau Sau, which is also a threat to many species of animals and plants living in the area. Therefore, Bau Sau naturally becomes a territory where crocodiles completely dominate. However, looking at the image of crocodiles leisurely swimming in the lake, many people mistakenly think that they are the original "residents" of Bau Sau.
In fact, there were many purebred crocodiles living here in the past. Both the people and the revolutionary soldiers passing through Bau Sau area were terrified by the hidden attacks of crocodiles. With their cold-blooded nature and superior hunting ability, crocodiles have taken the lives of many animals in Bau Sau and even killed many people. To deal with the ferocity of crocodiles, people retaliated with indiscriminate hunting, which led to the extinction of freshwater crocodiles living in the wild.
The image of a crocodile stands out in the quiet landscape of Bau Sau.
It is not difficult to see crocodiles here.
I took a picture of a Siamese crocodile, a species being protected and restored at Bau Sau.
Then, realizing that Bau Sau area is suitable for crocodile development, Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project has outlined a plan to restore freshwater crocodiles. In 2001, the project came into practice based on the search for pure freshwater crocodiles of the same family as the crocodile species that existed in Bau Sau before.
It is known that the crocodile species restored in Bau Sau area is the freshwater crocodile (Siamese crocodile) with a long body and a long snout like a clamp. The lower jaw has many long and sharp teeth, a tall, strong tail, and the hind legs have a rectangular web on the back. The freshwater crocodile has a gray body, the belly is lighter than the back. The Siamese crocodile has an average length of 2.20-2.28 m. Crocodiles often choose food as fish, crabs, wild birds and small animals such as mice. What is more noteworthy is that this crocodile species is one of the most threatened species. World conservation organizations have classified this species as highly endangered.
The scenery is very peaceful and airy at Bau Sau
About the author: Thinh, a writer on cultural geography, currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. Thinh is a storyteller, through articles, photo collections or reports. The author's stories are very personal shares from his personal perspective and feelings on his journeys around the world.
