Moe Yun Gyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the popular attraction sites for picnickers, naturalists, botanists, bird watchers and sightseers.

Moe Yun Gyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary is located near Pyinpongyi model village in Bago City, with an area of 103 square kilometer and about 70 miles from Yangon City. It is a real paradise for nature lovers and holidaymakers and has admission fees like other popular places in Myanmar. Moe Yun Gyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary is within easy reach of the car. The sanctuary opens to visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and boats and guides can be hired on a first come, first come served basis.

You also can study wetland environment by a boat equipped with different bird watching equipment. Moe Yun Gyi Wildlife Sanctuary is packed with local visitors and foreigners during the public holidays. It became an attraction spot for international travellers as well as local visitors. Floating restaurants and booths displaying a wide range of locally-made handicrafts are put on sale for the sightseers. You will have an opportunity to watch 42 water bird species, 33 shorebird species, 20 species of aquatic grass and hundreds of resident and migratory water birds.

About 35 species of winter birds used to migrate to the sanctuary at the end of November, according to sanctuary administrator’s office that compiles and documents the list of migratory birds.  From October to March, it hosts over 20,000 migratory birds and most of the migratory birds leave the sanctuary in March and April, said a ranger from the sanctuary. In an attempt to prevent poachers from hunting and killing rare bird species, an awareness campaign is being conducted by the forestry officials in cooperation with respective government organizations.

The sanctuary was designated as Ramsar site in Myanmar in 2014. The sanctuary, established in 1896, used to be a reservoir which changed naturally into wetlands with the extension of 40 square miles.

By Kyaw Htike Soe