HANOI, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's central province of Lam Dong on Friday issued a decision to establish the 8,408-hectare Ta Kou Nature Reserve to protect natural forest, conserve biodiversity and restore degraded forest areas, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
Located in Ham Thuan Nam and Tan Thanh communes, the reserve spans 7,342 hectares of natural forest, 281 hectares of planted forest and 785 hectares of unforested forestry land, and will be divided into strict protection, ecological restoration and administrative-service zones.
Preliminary surveys have recorded around 287 animal species in the reserve, including at least 32 endangered, rare or precious species, alongside diverse plant species and medicinal herbs. ■
