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Orang Utan, Kinabatang River

I have visited Borneo twice. Two weeks in October 2004 (see the 2004 trip report) and a week in August 2008 (see the 2008 trip report). It is a biologically fascinating island with a host of endemic species. The mammal watching is excellent but trying to do anything out of the ordinary can be rather frustrating as most trips are only possible as tours and lodges and operators tend not to be very flexible. In 2004 I did manage to hire a car and travelled to Kinabalu and Poring on my own which was a good move.

Sarawak

Mulu National Park, 2 nights 2004. An interesting place, famous for the enormous Deer Cave and its millions of bats. There is great spotlighting around the park if you can get some of the locals to take you out.

Deer Cave

Wrinkle-lipped Bats, Moonrat,Diadem Roundleaf Bats,Naked Bats, Black Flying Squirrel, Small-toothed Palm Civet, Bornean Slow Loris, Long-tailed Porcupine, Plain Pygmy Squirrel, Prevost’s Squirrel. See the 2004 trip report.

SABAH

Gunung Kinabalu, 2 nights in 2004. A very interesting place where you can stay on your own and drive around at night without any problems.

Bornean Black-banded Squirrel, Malayan Weasel (regularly seen) Bornean Black-banded Ground Squirrel, Mountain Ground Squirrel, Mountain Treeshrew, Lesser Gymnure, Giant Long-tailed Rat, Long-tailed Mountain Rat, Masked Palm Civet, Jentinck’s Squirrel. See the 2004 trip report.

Poring Hot Springs, 1 night 2004. Smoky Flying Squirrel, Greater Pencil-tailed Mouse , Prevost’s Squirrel, Plain Pygmy Squirrel,Cream Giant Squirrel, Fawn Leaf-nosed Bat, Greater Sheathtail Bat. See the 2004 trip report.

Manukan Island, 1 night 2004. I spent a night here because several websites reckoned there were Pangolins on this island just off Kota Kinabalu. Nice Place. No Pangolins.

Kinabatang River, 2 nights in 2004 and 4 nights in 2008. Superb area for mammals which are squeezed into the narrow gallery forest. Proboscis Monkey, Long-tailed Macaque, Silvered Langur, Orang Utan, Asian Elephant, Flat-headed Cat, Sunda Pig-tailed Macaque, Bearded Pig, Colugo, Prevost’s Squirrel, Low's Squirrel, Cream Giant Squirrel, Plain Pygmy Squirrel, Horse-tailed Squirrel,Short-tailed Mongoose, Malayan Civet, Moonrat, Giant and Island Flying Foxes, Fawn Leaf-nosed Bat, Pencil-tailed Tree Rat, Rajah Rat.

Sepilok, 1 morning 2004. Most trips to Sukau begin at Sandakan and a stop at the Sepilok Orang Utan orphanage/sanctuary. Wild Bornean Gibbons are here – but hard to see. Easier to see are Prevost’s Squirrels (the predominantly black Pluto race) and Cream Giant Squirrels. See the 2004 trip report and the 2008 trip report. Apparently this is also a good place to look for Sun Bears - arrange to stay for a couple of nights and take a nightwalk through the mangroves. Hose’s (Grey) Langurs are also quite common at the Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary at mile 19 off the road from Sandakan to Sukau.

Gomantong Caves (visited in 2004 and 2008) are near to the Kinabatang River. Lots of Wrinkle-lipped Bats, and other species that are hard to identify because they roost high up on the walls of this massive cave. Short-nosed Fruit Bats roost in the car park. See the 2004 trip report and the 2008 trip report.

Danum Valley, 2 nights in the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, 2 nights at the Danum Valley Field Centre in 2004. Wonderful forest, great mammals, but the Rainforest Lodge was annoyingly (mis)managed and it could be possible to see so much more here if they catered for naturalists rather than package tourists looking for a rainforest experience.

Bornean Clouded Leopard, Pygmy Squirrel, Cream Giant Squirrel, Horse-tailed Squirrel, Prevost’s Squirrel, Bearded Pig, Greater and Lesser Mouse Deer, Maroon Langur, Bornean Gibbon, Colugo, Malayan Civet, Small-toothed Palm Civet,Giant Red Flying Squirrel, Thomas’s Flying Squirrel, Leopard Cats, Masked Palm Civet, Long-tailed Porcupine,Bornean Slow Lorises, Plain Treeshrew, Large Treeshrew. See the 2004 trip report.

Tabin 3 nights 2008. Another park with a lot of potential but not brilliantly run. Large Flying Fox, Ridley's Myotis, Hose's Leaf-Monkey, Pig-tailed Macaque, Prevost's Squirrel, Low's Squirrel, Black Flying Squirrel, Giant Red Flying Squirrel, Thomas's Flying Squirrel, Malayan Civet, Masked Palm Civet, Common Palm Civet, Leopard Cat, Lesser and Greater Mouse Deer, Bornean Yellow Muntjak, Sambar and Bearded Pig. See the 2008 trip report.

See Also
Bornean Bats in Pitcher Plants (Feb 2011).

My more Detailed Trip Reports
Kinabatang River and Tabin 2008: 6 nights and 31 species including a Flat-headed Cat and Hose's Leaf-monkey.

Sabah and Sarawak 2004: 2 weeks and 50+ species including a Malayan Weasel and a Clouded Leopard.

Other People's Trip Reports
Indonesia & Malaysia, 2011: Romain Bocquier, 6 weeks & 43 species including Marbled Cat and Sulawesi Dwarf Cuscus.

Borneo and Malaysia, 2011: Indri Tours, 11 days & 33 species including Banded Palm Civet, Malayan Weasel and Western Tarsiers (twice).

Sabah, 2010: David Bishop (VENT), 2 weeks & 45 species including a Banded Linsang and a Banded Palm Civet. (David also reports a fabulous Tufted Ground Squirrel along the border track at Gunung Penrissen in Sarawak on a separate 2011 trip to Borneo).

Sabah, 2009: Alain Guillemont, 2 weeks & 31 species. An exceptional trip which included Tarsier, Sun Bear, Clouded Leopard and Marbled Cat!

Sabah, 2009: Dion Hobcroft, 5 weeks & 56 mammals including a Hairy-nosed Otter and a Malay Badger.

Malaysia and Borneo, 2009: Indri Tours, 2 weeks & 50 mammals including a Banded Palm Civet in Tabin and a Sun Bear and a Tapir in Taman Negara!

Gunung Mulu, 2009: Rohan Clarke, 2 days & 10 species including a Bornean Tarsier. (NB Rohan returned here a few months later and saw Tarsiers most nights within 500m from the accommodation).

Sabah, 2008: Derek Shingles, 9 nights & 9 species including Elephants.

Borneo, 2008: K. David Bishop, 2 weeks & 40 species including a Bay Cat!

Thailand and Borneo, 2008: Coke Smith, 2 weeks & in Borneo 41 species including a Ferret Badger. See more photos and the report on his site too.

Greater Sundas (West Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Java) 2008: Tim Mitzen, 2 months and 55 mammals including a Ferret Badger. A full trip report is here.

Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, 2007& 08 : Francine Mejia: a list of species seen.

Sabah and Singapore, 2007: Sjef Ollers, 3 weeks & 35 species including Clouded Leopard, Flat-headed Cat and Hose's Langur.

Sabah, 2007: Richard Webb, 2 week & 34 mammals including Flat-headed Cat and Banded Palm Civet.

Sabah, 2005: Steve Anyon-Smith, 2 weeks & 37 mammals.

Sabah and Sarawak, 2003: Don Roberson, 1 month.

Sabah, 2003: Richard Webb, 1 week and some great mammals including a Sun Bear and an Otter Civet.

Peninsula Malaysia and Sarawak, 1998: Steve Anyon-Smith, 4 weeks & 29 mammals.