To Sabah: Sepilok & Abai Jungle Lodge

June 2, 2018

This morning we were picked up at 3:00am to catch a 6 o'clock flight to the eastern state of Sabah, Borneo.  We will land in Sandakan then head to the "jungle" on the banks of the Kinabatangan river- an area of mangrove swamp and home to remarkable wildlife, some of which can only be found in Borneo (& maybe one other place in the world).

 The endangered Bornean Orangutan is one such animal that can only be found in Borneo Malaysia. (The only other known species is the Sumatran Orangutan endemic to Sumatra, Indonesia- also endangered.)
Set up in 1964, the Sepilok Rehabilitation Center is a 43 sq kilometer "sanctuary" for injured, orphaned or rescued orangutans.  The goal, which they have achieved many times over, is to return these great apes back to the wild.

Two "brothers" playing in the "nursery".
They reminded me of some human brothers I know...

Just chillin'...
This guy could not be bothered with fighting over the tire swing!

Once they are healthy and have been trained, the orangutans move to the "Outdoor Nursery" with decreased feedings and more freedom.  From this stage, some go into the wild and do not return while others will drop in frequently for a snack and show off their acrobatic skills to visitors like us.

This gal was able to hang upside down and still eat her bananas!

Just across the way is another center dedicated to the care of another animal found in the tropical forests of Malaysia- the smallest of the world's bears, the Sun Bear or Honey Bear.

The sad tale of these animals is that many are slaughtered for meat, used for Chinese medicine or kept as caged pets.

They have a "golden bracelet" of fur around their necks which is similar to zebra stripes in that no two are alike.

These guys have long claws & are excellent tree climbers, both of which are necessary for reaching beehives & getting to the honey inside. 

All the way up, faster than you can say "honeybear"

Walking the dock to the boat that will take us about 40km across the sea to the Abai Jungle Lodge on the  Kinabatangan River-

Abai Village-
we had to stop at the police station here to "register" 

When we reached the lodge, we had a very unusual greeting party...

...a crocodile waiting on the dock...

...a monitor lizard, near the reception desk...

AND... on the boardwalk planter right outside our cabin porch was a Bronze snake!!
The only photo missing is one of the Bearded pig rooting around under the cabin across from us.

We have travelled in many parts of the world "out in the bush" but I have never encountered so many threatening animals just on the way to our room!!

After settling down & in, we enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch then set out on our first "river safari".

The Proboscis monkey is another endangered species that can only be found in certain parts of Borneo.  They are interesting creatures with very large, very distinctive noses and pot bellies.
This was the first of many to be spotted.

About 20 minutes down river, were very fortunate to come upon a large family of Bornean Pygmy elephants!
 There were more than 20 in all, with lots of young calves.  It was really exciting to watch them walk along the river bank enjoying their favorite "elephant grass".

Matt was able to get some excellent photos-

These little ones have not been weaned and are just learning how to use their trunks-

I think she was trying to tell mom about the stranger taking her picture...

When our boat floated just a little too close,  the aunts paused their grazing, stepped in and formed a protective circle around the babies with their trunks-

This was an absolutely fascinating thing to witness...

Headed into the jungle to bed down for the night...

"Show's over folks!"

As the sky grew darker, the "night switch" began-
The cicadas began their song, the fireflies lit up the trees and we headed in for dinner.

* I was hoping that our earlier greeting party had switched out too!