Batang Gadis National Park, is located in the Mandailing Natal (Madina) district of North Sumatra province. North Sumatra province covers 15 district and in contact with approximately 70 villages.
The protection of Batang Gadis as a national park is part of a plan to create the Northern Sumatra biodiversity conservation corridor, which would be connected, via a series of protected areas and forest, to Gunung Leuser National Park in the north of the island.
The park is geographically located between 99o12'45" - 99o47'45" East longitude and 0o27'15" - 1o01'57" North. The name of the park comes from the name of the main river that flows and splitting Madina District.
Batang Gadis National Park is covers an area of 108.000 hectares or 26 % of the total forest area in the Madina district and located an altitude range of 300 to 2.145 meters above sea level, with its higest point at the peak of Merapi Volcano sorik.
Batang Gadis National Park is formed through a process of initiation of the aspiration of local communities. Mandailing community has long run the local wisdom that still survive to this day. Traditionally the community has to protect natural forests and water resources and use natural resources wisely, for example through the ordinances, restrictions depths, spatial banua/huta, sacred place 'naborgo-borgo' or 'harangan-rarangan' (ban forests) that should not be disturbed and destroyed. In view of Mandailing community life, water is a 'spring of life' that lece-rigging with social institutions, cultural, economic and ecological, and should be protected existance.
The park formation can be interpreted also as a recognition of the country and strengthening of local traditions that have kept people Mandailing natural forest and water resources over the years. The establishment of local conservation initiatives driven by the desire of the parties to save the remaining natural forests and relatively intact in the province of North Sumatra and managed better, in order to bring long term benefits for local communities and local governments and the wider community on 'urnumnya'. The establishment of new conservation areas in the province of North Sumatra is increasingly important given the degradation rate of destruction of natural forests in the province in a situation of concern, due to the problems of unsustainable use of forests and forest mis managament in the past.
Batang Gadis National Park is a mountain range that has the potential diversity of flora and fauna are high, is the habitat of protected animal such as Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), Tapir (Tapirus indicus), Honey Bear (Hylobates malayanus), Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), Angkola Race, Siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), various species of birds and others. In addition, to its function as water catchment areas and rivers in the upper district Mandailing Natal and South Tapanuli, thus play a role in the hydrological sustainability in the region, also has a beauty interesting nature, with cool air and there are a variety of natural attractions with huge potential to be developed into natural tourism area.
Exploration potential of nature tourism activities can be performed in conjunction with regional security activities (patrols, operations), the inventory of biological resources and other activities in the field. One potentially very valuable today for the utilization of natural attractions in the beauty/panorama Sorik Merapi volcano has a height of 2.145 m asl., where there is a crater lake is quite captivating. This potential has a fairly easy access from the Capital District, the city Panyabungan. Sibanggor Julu Village which is the entrance to the object of Mount Merapi Sorik also has its own peculiarities. In the village there's also the traditional houses are thatched roofed and residents can also see the presence of hot springs/geothermal. In addition to exploring the potential of nature tourism in the park, it is necessary also to perform data collection potential/existing natural attractions in the villages around the area a national park.
Declared by Minister of Forestry No. 1266/Menhut-II/2004. April 29, 2004.