Borneo – Orang Utan in the wild / Orang Utan en la naturaleza

Borneo – Orang Utan in the wild / Orang Utan en la naturaleza

2015 December 5-18

(publicado en Inglés; versión español pronto) 

We were in Malaysia for two weeks of business and shortly beforehand the commitment for the first week was cancelled. So, we had a week to do something, however could not travel outside Malaysia since Marce’s visa was a single entry visa. We looked into options within the country and decided that we would go to Borneo to seek orang utan and whatever else we could find in the wild. 

 

After a weekend in Kuala Lumpur visiting the Bird Park for the first time, then catching the “Khatamiya tentmakers” exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum, we took a flight to Sandakan, in north-eastern Sabah. We had arranged to stay in Sepilok, where there is an Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, which we visited that afternoon. We were fortunate to see not only orang utan, but also a number of macaques (both long-tailed and pig-tailed). 

 Macaque

 

 

 

Orang Utan at Sepilok

In the morning we went back to the Centre again, seeing fewer orang utan, and no macaques before visiting the adjacent Sun Bear Centre.

 

Sun Bear at Sepilok

We then headed down to the boat dock and took a boat from Sandakan, east along the coast, then up the Kinabatangan River, to Abai Lodge. This is on the riverbank, distant from any significant human population, and we were able to appreciate the original forest ecosystem, although found that there has been significant encroachment of plantations close to the river, deducing the original habitat significantly. A night walk revealed frogs, snakes, and birds, in the luxuriant flora. 

Common Bush Frog (?)

 

Red-tailed Racer 

 

Borneo keeled pit viper

 

Pigmy squirrel

The following day was spent exploring upriver and downriver by boat, and we were excited to see Proboscis monkeys as well as Orang Utan in the wild, and a considerable variety of bird life.  

 

Proboscis Monkey

  

Orang Utan upriver

 

 Oriental Pied Hornbill

 

 Lesser Adjutant (? please help confirm identification)

 

Stork-billed Kingfisher

 

Owl (please help with identification)

The next day we headed downriver again to see more Orang Utan and also Rhino Hornbill, then upriver, seeing more hornbill, and crocodile on the riverbank. Finally we arrived at Kinabatangan Riverside Lodge Sukau, where we were to stay that night. 

 

Obvious

 

Water snake (species unknown)

 

Rhino Hornbill

On the following day we headed back downriver to Abai Lodge, for a break, and then on to Sandakan. On arrival there we visited the local market and then lunched at the Sabah Hotel, a neo-colonial place, with a pleasant pool to relax for a couple of hours before heading to the airport for our flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

This unplanned trip, for only a few days in Borneo, was relatively brief, however although a longer stay would have been great, we were fortunate to have this window of opportunity to appreciate the area, and to fufil a longstanding wish to to see Orang Utan in the wild, as well as Proboscis Monkey and a variety of bird life and other fauna.

 

Photos may be used for non-commercial purposes with credit to alanymarce@gmail.com

If interested in our 11 month road trip around South America, take a look at http://suramericacontraelreloj.blogspot.com.co.