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Ples Masalai Sacred Forests (Papua New Guinea)
Sepik basin, Baliem & highlands, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Active
Regional cluster
- Location
- Sepik basin, Baliem & highlands, Papua New Guinea
- Coordinates
- ~4.0°S 142.0°E
- Elevation
- Lowland to highland forest
- Size
- Spirit-place forest patches (varies)
- Age / Founded
- Ancient (Melanesian)
- Status
- Active
- Deity & Religion
- Masalai (place-spirits in trees, rivers, rocks); PNG traditional religions
- Community & Guardians
- Fore, Sepik & other PNG peoples
- Vernacular name
- Ples masalai (spirit ground)
- Record type
- Regional cluster
Cultural practices & uses
Spirit grounds — no loud talking, no touching/damaging plants; Sepik WMAs forbid disturbance & logging of masalai areas
Plant species
New Guinea rainforest; e.g., klinki pine (Araucaria hunsteinii)
Biome & fauna
New Guinea tropical rainforest (megadiverse)
Threats & protection
Customary taboo + Wildlife Management Areas; logging pressure
Source
Sacred Land — Sepik River Basin; Masalai (Wikipedia); Conservation in PNG