In 1972 two areas in Central Ceram were declared as Nature Reserves, Wae Nua (20,000 ha) and Wae Mual (17,500 ha).

Wae Mual lies in the lowland forest in the nortern plain and Wae Nua encompasses most of the hill lowland forest in the Wae Kawa river valley. After a survey in 1978. a proposal was made to unite there two areas to form the Manusela National Park. This was finally declared in 1982 at the Third word National Park Congress, Denpasar, Bali Development and protection of the whole park area is still at a very early stage.

ITS PEOPLE

The area around the Manusela National Park has a long history og human inhabitation, both along the coast and inland. The Park is intimately connected with folklore and local traditions of Ceram. Inland the hill people still live in harmony with their natural environment in small villages along the east and west boundary of the Park and in four enclave villages Manusela, Ilela Maraina, Selumena and Kanike. Traditionally these people farm on a shifting cultivation basis and hunt or gather forest's food crops as sago palm

For them, the highest mountains (Binaya, Kobipoto and Manusela) are the resting places of the spirits of their deceased and such, remain sacred to the people, and the name of Manusela which means "bird of freedom"