Hot air balloon service decreases number of migratory birds in Inle Lake

Birds seen in Inle Lake.

Yangon January 26

The number of birds wintering at Inle Lake in southern Shan State appears to be lower during the current cold season compared with past seasons, according to the Inle Lake Wildlife Sanctuary.

U Sein Tun, administrator of the Inle Wildlife Sanctuary said: “Due to noise coming out from the hot air balloon services, the arrival of migratory birds to Inle Lake becomes prominently low this year.”

When collecting the number of migratory birds in Inle Wildlife Sanctuary, the responsible persons knew that the population of the migratory birds in Inle Lake became low.

In December 2015, 11,350 birds of Common Moorhen came to the lake. However, only 1,967 birds came to the lake in December this year.

“When we conduct the census of the birds at the lake, we know that the number of migratory is low obviously. However, the arrival of the migratory birds is normal in other sanctuaries. This is due to the hot air balloon services over the sky of Inle Lake,” said U Sein Tun.

The hot air balloon is launched from North Kyawsar Village, Minchaung Village-tract in Inle region and the visitors can see the natural beauty of the lake from the sky. The fee of the service is US$-330 per head. 

Inle Lake is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an elevation of 2,900 feet (880 m). The migratory birds usually come to the lake in December, January and February.

The Myawady Daily