Yangon, Jan 27 (IANS) A total of 39 rare mammals, including tiger, elephant, tapir and golden deer, have been designated by Myanmar’s forestry department as totally protected animals.

According to the country’s laws on protection of wild animals, plants and land, three categories of animals are designated – totally protected animals, ordinarily protected animals and seasonally protected animals.

The totally protected animals now include 39 kinds of mammals, 50 kinds of birds and nine kinds of reptiles, while ordinarily protected ones include 12 types of mammals, 43 kinds of birds and six kinds of reptiles.

There are two kinds of mammals and 13 kinds of birds under seasonally protected animals, Xinhua reported citing the local Weekly Eleven journal.

Myanmar is also planning to launch a bird-sorting course in Yangon and Mandalay in February, aimed at sharing knowledge of birds, their lifestyle, behaviour and food they eat.

The ministry of forestry has designated Nat Ma Taung national park, also known as Mount Victoria, in southern Chin state as a natural protected area.

Nat Ma Taung, the 36th park of its kind in Myanmar accommodating 289 species of birds, attracts ornithologists from across the world.