Lo Go-Xa Mat

Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park protects 18,765 hectares of lowland dipterocarp forest and wetlands in Tay Ninh Province, southwestern Vietnam, immediately adjacent to the Cambodian border. The park is bisected by the Vam Co Dong River and contains extensive seasonally flooded grassland and forest known locally as 'dong'. Established in 2002, the park forms part of a transboundary forest corridor with protected areas in Cambodia's Mondulkiri Province. It is notable as one of the few remaining areas of lowland dipterocarp forest in the Mekong Delta transition zone and serves as a refuge for wildlife increasingly displaced from surrounding agricultural land.

Lo Go-Xa Mat is a refuge for Asian elephants, which cross between Vietnam and Cambodia along the park's border. Gaur, banteng, sambar, muntjac, wild pig, and leopard cat are also documented. The park's wetlands host large concentrations of waterbirds, including lesser adjutant storks, painted storks, woolly-necked storks, and several heron species. The critically endangered Siamese crocodile was historically present but is now considered locally extinct; reintroduction feasibility is under study. Over 180 bird species have been recorded, and the open grassland-wetland mosaic is particularly valuable for raptors including grey-headed fish eagles.

The park's dominant vegetation is dry deciduous dipterocarp forest dominated by Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, D. obtusifolius, and Shorea obtusa—the classic open-canopy 'forests of fire' that are adapted to seasonal burning and drought. The Vam Co Dong River floodplain supports seasonally flooded grassland and shrubland that floods deeply in the wet season, creating wetland habitat for waterbirds. Gallery forest along the river banks features tall evergreen trees including Tetrameles nudiflora. Lotus ponds and sedge swamps occupy low-lying depressions within the park, and scattered bamboo thickets are common in transitional zones.

Lo Go-Xa Mat sits on the flat, low-lying terrain of the Mekong Delta transition zone, underlain by Quaternary alluvial and colluvial sediments derived from the Central Highlands. The landscape is nearly level, with elevations of 2–50 metres above sea level. The Vam Co Dong River has created a broad floodplain with oxbow lakes and seasonal wetlands. Lateritic soil caps on slightly higher ground support the dry dipterocarp forest, while hydromorphic and alluvial soils in the lower areas flood annually. The park's geological simplicity contrasts with its biological complexity.

The park has a tropical monsoon climate with a marked wet season from May to October and a long dry season from November to April. Annual rainfall is 1,500–2,000 mm, much of it concentrated in the wet season months. The wet season transforms the floodplain into an extensive shallow lake, while the dry season creates severe drought stress and fire risk in the dipterocarp forest. Temperatures range from 25°C in the cooler months to 38°C in April at the peak of the dry season. Wildfires regularly burn through the dry forest in March and April, which is a natural process that maintains the open dipterocarp forest structure.

The Lo Go-Xa Mat area was strategically important during the Vietnam War as part of the Cambodian border corridor. The region experienced intensive bombing and the use of chemical defoliants that affected forest cover. Following reunification in 1975, government settlement programmes brought Kinh Vietnamese families to the area. Khmer Krom and Stieng communities lived in the area historically. The border location has historically made the region important for cross-border trade, both legal and informal, including the trafficking of wildlife.

Lo Go-Xa Mat was designated a national park by Decision No. 72/2002/QD-TTg in 2002, part of a series of park upgrades across southern Vietnam. Prior to park establishment, the area was managed as a protected forest. The park's boundary was set to incorporate the most intact dry dipterocarp forest and wetland areas along the Cambodian border, creating a corridor for transboundary wildlife movement. Collaboration with Cambodia's protected area authorities on elephant movement monitoring and anti-poaching operations has been a focus of management since the park's establishment.

The park offers forest walks along marked trails from the headquarters into dry dipterocarp forest, where the open canopy and parkland-like understorey make wildlife spotting relatively straightforward compared to denser forest parks. The Vam Co Dong River is navigable by small boat, offering views of gallery forest and waterbirds. Seasonal lotus ponds are spectacular in full bloom from May to August. Birdwatching is the primary visitor activity, with the open wetland-forest mosaic supporting high bird diversity. Guided night walks can reveal civets, porcupines, and small mammals.

The park headquarters is located near Xa Mat township, approximately 70 km from Tay Ninh City. From Ho Chi Minh City, the park is about 3–4 hours by road via Tay Ninh. The park has a basic visitor centre and can arrange ranger guides for forest walks and boat trips. Accommodation within the park is limited; visitors typically stay in Tay Ninh City, which has hotels and restaurants. The area is sometimes visited in combination with the Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh, one of Vietnam's most distinctive religious sites. The wet season months of June to September offer the best waterbird concentrations.

Lo Go-Xa Mat faces ongoing threats from illegal logging, wildlife poaching, and agricultural encroachment on the park boundary. Fire management is a complex challenge, as seasonal burning maintains the open dipterocarp forest structure but uncontrolled fires can damage sensitive wetland habitats. Transboundary anti-poaching coordination with Cambodia remains difficult due to different legal frameworks. The park works with WWF Vietnam on elephant corridor monitoring and conflict mitigation in villages along the boundary. Community forest patrols supported by the park authority are being developed as a sustainable model for buffer zone management.