The Lower Kinabatangan River in Borneo is estimated to have the highest concentration of wildlife in Malaysia and boasts all 8 species of hornbills found in Borneo. The Proboscis or Long-nosed Monkey is endemic to Borneo and there can be no better place to locate this key species than along the banks of the Kinabatangan River! The male has a Pinocchio proportioned pendulous nose, thought to indicate its worth as a mate. This odd looking monkey also sports an outlandish potbelly of chambered stomachs filled with a cocktail of bacteria that assist in digestion of its vegetarian diet of seeds, young leaves and unripe green fruits (sweet fruits can cause fatal bloating due to rapid fermentation). Although they prefer to leap from branch to branch, Proboscis Monkeys are also outstanding swimmers with partly webbed hands and feet – most useful when a flying leap falls short! They also belly flop into rivers when alarmed despite the fact that crocodiles are their main predators! This region is also home to other fantastic primates including the quintessential of them all, the “Old-man-of-the-forest” – the Orangutan!
This fantastic image was taken by Lawrence Weitz on a recent Bellingham Safaris expedition to Borneo.
WHY WE LOVE THE KINABATANGAN
The odd looking Probosic Monkey with its large fleshy nose and potbelly.
The “old man of the forest”, the incomparable Bornean Orangutan.
Tropical birding paradise along extensive riparian forests.
Incredibly rewarding river cruises through Mangrove Swamps and Oxbow Lakes.
The daily spectacle at the nearby massive limestone Gomtong Caves – a mass exodus of millions of bats into the twilight sky.
Please feel free to contact us, should you wish to join Lawrence on our scheduled departure in April 2017 – he will be visiting the Kinabatangan River in Sakau as well as Tabin and the fabled Danum Valley. Limited spaces remain. Private tours are available on request.
Warm regards from the Bellingham Safaris team.
TOP MAMMALS
- Orangutan
- Proboscis Monkey
- Asian Elephant
- Sun Bear
- Leopard Cat
- Western Tarsier
- Coluga
- Pangolin
- Aardwolf
- Malay Civet
TOP BIRDS
- Rhinoceros Hornbill
- Bornean Ground Cuckoo
- The endangered Storm’s Stork
- Helmeted Hornbill
- Lesser Adjutant
- White-fronted Falconet
- Wrinkled Hornbill
- Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle
“If I’d learnt one thing from travelling, it was the way to get things done was to go ahead and do them. Don’t talk about going to Borneo. Book a ticket, get a visa, pack a bag, and it just happens.”
– Alex Garland (English novelist)
OUR FAVORITE TIME TO VISIT
For wildlife it is best to visit from March to October when the island is at its driest.
Photo credits: Proboscis Monkey by Lawrence Weitz, Orangutan by Lawrence Weitz, Rhinoceros Hornbill by Jim James, Asian Elephant by Lawrence Weitz
