KOTA TINGGI: The Panti Bird Sanctuary, home to more than 300 wild birds of various species, can attract more foreign tourists to Johor, says Ling Tian Soon.
The state health and environmental committee chairman added that in 2004, BirdLife International recognised the Panti Forest Reserve as an important bird and biodiversity area (IBA).
“About 1,800ha of the forest reserve has been gazetted as Panti Bird Sanctuary since 2008. It is popular among local and foreign bird watchers.
“Last year, 1,533 bird watchers, 1,217 of them foreigners, visited the bird sanctuary just to observe and photograph the rare birds,” he said.
Ling, also the Yong Peng assemblyman, said this after officiating the Panti Bird Race 2024 closing ceremony here on Sunday (April 28).
He added that, until March this year, some 314 individuals, including 234 foreigners, had visited the Panti Bird Sanctuary, which shows that the area was a popular local tourism product among foreign tourists.
Ling said that 308 varieties of bird species can be found in the sanctuary, some of which are rare and protected, such as the Malaysian Rail Babbler, an iconic bird species at the Panti Forest Reserve.
“As Johor is known for its flora and fauna, the state government, through its 2024 Budget, has allocated more than RM67mil to improve tourism infrastructures, including the Panti Bird Sanctuary,” he added.
At the event, Ling said the two-day Panti Bird Race 2024 attracted 117 participants, including 43 foreigners from various countries.
He added that this was the first time such an event was held in Johor, and the state government expressed its intention to put it on its tourism calendar.
“We are gearing up for Visit Johor Year 2026. With the right promotion and marketing, I believe the Panti Bird Race can attract more foreign and local birders into Johor,” he said.
