Borneo's Rainforest Mammals

Borneo’s rainforests are extremely rich in wildlife, and this new tour focuses on the diverse and interesting range of mammals found in the state of Sabah. Borneo is home to approximately 200 species of mammal, 44 of which are endemic to the island and found only in its rainforests. On this 11-day tour, we will be based along the Kinabatangan River and in the nearby Tabin Wildlife Reserve, where all 10 of Sabah’s primate species can be found. These include Orangutan, Bornean Gibbon, Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaques, the peculiar Proboscis Monkey, and Maroon, Silvered and Hose’s Langurs.

We begin our tour in Sepilok, where we will visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, and the Sun Bear Conservation Centre to learn about the ongoing efforts to protect these iconic species. We will then journey upriver to the award-winning Sukau Rainforest Lodge, which will be our base while we explore the nearby tributaries and oxbow lakes on daily boat trips, in search of our first truly wild Orangutans. In the evenings, we can enjoy spotlighting sessions to seek out such elusive nocturnal specialities as Slow Loris, and both Flat-headed and Leopard Cats, as well as one or more of the many civet species found in the region.

After three days spent among the varied fauna that lives along the Kinabatangan River, we will travel deeper into the rainforest to the 112,000- hectare Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Tabin protects a mix of mature primary and secondary lowland rainforest — dotted with active volcanic mudflats — home to a wide variety of Borneo’s remarkable mammal species. By day, we will explore the reserve’s tracks and trails in search of Orangutan, Pygmy Elephant, Bornean Gibbon and Lesser and Greater Mouse-deer. As night falls, we will again take to the forest, this time looking for such nocturnal specialities as Colugo, Western Tarsier, Pangolin and, if we are extremely fortunate, the rare Sunda Clouded Leopard!