Peninsula Malaysia

Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus, Taman Negara

This page covers Peninsula Malaysia. Please visit the Borneo page for information on Sabah & Sarawak.

I visited Malaysia in 2004 for five days, spent an afternoon in Kuala Lumpur in 2008, and then a couple of nights back in Taman Negara in 2010 where I finally saw a Malayan Tapir. In 2023 I spent 36 hours looking for bats fairly close to KL.

Bukit Fraser

Bukit Fraser

During a night in 2004 I saw Siamang, White-thighed Langurs and a Himalayan Striped-tree Squirrel.

Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill)

I spent a night here in 2004  and saw Wild Boar, Crab-eating Mongoose, Masked Palm Civet, Common Palm Civet, and a Highland Niviventer (Mountain Rat) (Niventer cameroni).

Kota Gelanggi Caves

Shield-faced Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros lylei)

An afternoon here in 2023 produced some good bats: Sunda Short-nosed Fruit Bat; Greater False Vampire; Diadem, Canton’s and Shield-faced Leaf-nosed Bats; Intermediate Horseshoe Bat; Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat; and probable Pygmy Pipistrelles.

Kuala Selanagor

Selangor Silvered Langur, Trachypithecus selangorensis

Selangor Silvered Langurs were easy to see here (this species is now split from the regular Sillvered Langur, T. cristatus).

Kuala Lumpur

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur

In 2008 I had a free afternoon in Kuala Lumpur so visited Bukit Nanas, a small forest reserve in the middle of the city. Bukit Nanas is a well known tourist destination and is next to Dang Wangi station (just three stops from KL Central railway station on the rapid KL line). It is only 16 hectares but it is decent forest and has a lot of wildlife. I saw two Common Tree Shrews, a Grey-bellied Squirrel, Long-tailed Macaques and Selangor Silvered Langurs, in a couple of hours late in the afternoon. I’m not sure whether Lesser Tree Shrews also occur there. But after speaking to someone outside it sounds like Three-striped Ground Squirrels are also quite common.

Long-winged Tomb Bat (Taphozous longimanus)

In 2023 a brief stop at the Horse Adventure Paya Indah Wetlands, close to the airport, produced a few Long-winged Tomb Bats but not the Pouched Tomb Bats we were hoping for.

Taman Negara

Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus

During three nights in 2004 I saw White-thighed Langurs (during the boat trip to – and also while at – the Kumbang hide), Robinson’s (Low’s), Plantain and Prevosts Squirrels, Common Porcupine, Yellow-throated Martens, Dark-tailed Tree Rats (aka Sundaic Arboreal Niviventer) (Niviventer cremoriventer), Intermediate Roundleaf bats, Lesser Sheathtail Bats, Lesser False Vampire Bats, Lesser Mouse Deer, Black Giant Squirrels, Black Flying Squirrels, Colugo.

In 2010 during two nights I saw at least one Tapir, a few Dusky Langurs and some Plantain Squirrels. In 2023 I added Long-tailed Macaques to the list though I am suprised I didn’t see them there before.