IPOH: The Perak state executive council has agreed to the proposal to declare the site where ancient coral fossils were discovered in Kampung Changkat Tualang, Kampar, as one of the geosites in the Kinta Valley Geopark.
Perak Department of Mineral and Geoscience (JMG) director Nizarulikram Abdul Rahim said the agreement was reached in June where the area comprising both geosites, namely the Lombong Batu and Lombong Bakap in Kampung Changkat Tualang, Kampar, will be gazetted.
"However, this process of gazetting will take a bit of time before being officially declared as a reserve area for geological-based tourism activities and related activities," he told Bernama.
On June 22, the media reported that researchers from the Perak Natural Heritage Geopark Tourist Guides Association (GEONAT) discovered various species of ancient coral fossils estimated to be 300 million years old in the area.
Following this, State Communications, Multimedia and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Committee chairman Mohd Azlan Helmi said the Perak government will declare the area as another geosite in the state.
Meanwhile, elaborating further, Nizarulikram said the area has scientific, aesthetic, historical, and cultural value that can be developed into a geological-based tourism attraction (geotourism), and his team will carry out geosite mapping activities in collaboration with the Perak State Parks Corporation in 2025.
"Both geosites are in the process of being gazetted involving several activities including boundary measurements, proposed permitted activities, and the appointment of administrators for the sites.
"The total acre for both geosites is 27.92 hectares (ha) and among the fossils found are marine origin types such as gastropoda (snails), rugosa (corals), and crinoids (marine invertebrates) that are approximately 300 million years old," he said.
Nizarulikram said that the gazetting is important and needs to be implemented to prevent the area from being encroached upon, and once gazetted, it contains certain matters that must be adhered to by the community.
"The announcement includes a written statement outlining the purpose of the announcement, such as for tourism areas or activities related to ecology and geology. Then, the villagers can benefit from the announcement by organising specific tourism packages in the area," he said.
"Among ecological activities that can be done are kayaking on the lake, fishing, and there are limestone pinnacle outcrops, and that's where marine fossils like snails and corals can be found, so they can take interested tourists to that place to see the fossils and to kayak," he said.
Additionally, he said if the area is designated as a geopark site, it will add a new attraction to the existing Kinta Valley Geopark because there are no other geopark sites based on marine fossils.
"We also want to make the place one of the geosites in the Kinta Valley Geopark because the discovery of these marine fossils is the first of their kind in the area. Previously, most geosites involved fossils such as elephant teeth and tiger skulls in Gua Naga Mas, but this is the first to involve marine fossils," he added.-- BERNAMA