The Ultimate Borneo Travel Guide
Go boating on the river, go deep into the rainforest, and follow the author on a journey of discovery to find rare animals such as Borneo orangutans, Borneo dwarf elephants, and proboscis monkeys. Everything here is endless.
Searching For Orangutans
The Sepilok Orangutan Center is located in the Sepilok-Kabiri Forest Reserve. There are about 50 Borneo orangutans (hereinafter referred to as orangutans), all of the Kalimantan subspecies.
The appearance of orangutans is very similar to humans, and 96.4% of their genes are the same as humans. The lifespan of a 10-year-old orangutan is 20 to 30 years. The IQ of a 10-year-old orangutan is equivalent to that of a 5- to 6-year-old child. The intelligence and dexterity of orangutans attract some indigenous people to keep them at home, causing them to lose their survival skills.
Most of the animals housed at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary are young orangutans who come from forested areas, plantations, or were illegally captured and injured or left alone. After receiving care and training in wild survival skills, they will be released into the forest.
There is a boardwalk connecting the viewing corridor and the feeding platform. Visitors can watch the rangers feeding the orangutans twice a day. From November to March, you can see a larger number of orangutans here. In other months, due to the abundance of local fruits, the food here will not be attractive enough to them.
Meet The Pretender
The Kinabatangan River is about 560 kilometers long and is a habitat for many birds and primates. Long-tailed monkeys inhabit the mangrove swamps of Sandakan. They like to go to the beach after low tide to forage for crabs and shellfish, so they are also called crab-eating monkeys. The pig-tailed monkey (pig-tailed monkey), as its name suggests, has a short tail like a pig’s tail. The hotel staff specifically told us to close the door tightly when sleeping or going out to prevent monkeys from entering the room and stealing things.
There is also a proboscis monkey, a species endemic to Borneo. Due to its long-term consumption of poisonous red leaves, it has a unique digestive system, which is why we see it with a big belly. The male’s nose is surprisingly large, and as it ages, the nose becomes larger and larger, eventually forming a large red nose like an eggplant.
However, sometimes it is not easy to observe these creatures. During the day, small animals have mastered the ability to protect themselves very well, either through mimicry or protective coloration. In short, it is difficult to find them without a pair of discovering eyes.
Many insects will imitate the posture of leaves. If you look carefully, you will always find that a leaf is not “normal”. Lizards will change color and hide their bodies in anticipation of prey; giant-legged mantis nymphs will hang themselves on branches; tree frogs on leaves will disguise themselves as a pile of bird droppings, making them very easy to miss.
Unmodified Nature
Tabin Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1984 to protect Sabah’s disappearing wildlife. The protected area covers an area of 1,225 square kilometers, of which only 20 forest cabins have been built to receive tourists.
Compared with several other wildlife sanctuaries in Borneo, Tabin Wildlife Sanctuary retains the original appearance of nature. The inspection in Tabin is mainly carried out in modified jeeps. Sitting on the open and roofless soft seats, you can observe and shoot without obstruction.
Every day we would be woken up by the melodious sounds of Northern Gray Gibbons, which sounded like high-pitched sounds of nature, melodic and accompanied by a strong rhythm, often lasting several minutes. This northern gray gibbon is also endemic to Borneo and feeds mainly on fruits, leaves, etc.
Another animal worth seeing is the unique Borneo dwarf elephant here. They are shorter than other Asian elephant subspecies and are also called pygmy elephants. The ears are large, the tail is very long, almost hanging to the ground, and the tusks also grow downward. These are special characteristics evolved for their life in the rainforest. Unfortunately, threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, there are only about 1,500 dwarf elephants left in Borneo.
We were also particularly lucky to see the Sabah gray langur, a species of monkey that has a narrow range, and Tabing happens to be one of its ranges. Sabah gray langurs are forest dwellers, and most of them live in trees around the reserve. In addition to the leaves and fruits in the jungle, they occasionally pick oil palm fruits to enjoy.
A Birdwatcher’s Sanctuary
The primeval forests of Danum Valley are home to the rare-to-see Helmeted Hornbill, Malayan Hornbill, and the Chestnut-breasted Mountain Partridge that roam on the ground. Various types of owls can be seen at night, such as the Malayan Fishing Owl and the Brown Wood Owl, which are frequent visitors perching next to our hotel.
Danum Valley is also the relatively stable distribution area of the Helmeted Hornbill in Borneo. Its helmet-like horny bumps are solid and have a texture similar to ivory. Their oil glands secrete a red waxy liquid, which can dye the yellow helmet protrusions red. Coupled with the black and white feathers, the helmeted hornbill looks extremely majestic.
The phoenix-crested pheasant looks like a heavily armored knight. Its body is black and blue, with some white feathers embellishment. A bright blue mask hangs on its head, which looks like a masquerade ball. The buds, fruits, seeds of various plants and various insects are all their favorite foods.
At night, the Malayan Fishing Owl has the opportunity to hunt. We observed a Malayan fishing owl standing on a tree branch from a distance. It caught a mouse with agility and was preparing to feast on it. You can see that it has wide eyes and a cold expression, looking around alertly, but it doesn’t seem to care about our visit.
I think that perhaps only by seeing these creatures thriving in nature can we understand that human beings are just passers-by of nature. No one can claim to truly understand nature, and this trip only touched it lightly.