Vagabond Way: Kubah National Park A Frog Lovers Dream Borneo Malaysia

In Borneo Malaysia, Kubah National Park sits as a little known gem.

Visited mostly by hot, water seeking tourists for its waterfall, the park boasts an impressive number of nocturnal frogs.

For those keen on unique wildlife experience or lover of frogs, this park is a must visit spot.

Chris did a bunch of research and we learned that we could stay overnight in the park hostel.

We got ourselves ready and hopped on a bus with the plan to stay for two nights.

If you are a quiet, respectful and self-reliant traveler or wildlife enthusiast, this place is for you!

Atop a very steep 1 km hill, lays a frog pond. Every evening dozens of species of frogs make their way down to the pond.

The different frog calls fill the night air as each evening this orchestra ensues.

So many times people hear frogs, but they don’t actually get to see them.

The ribbits and croaking calls come from deep within some reeds or undetected in a marshy bog.

At Kubah, the frogs slowly emerge from the dense forest and are on display to show their beauty.

They might just be sitting on a leaf or tree for a while, calling, and then eventually jump or fly down another 10 feet and repeat as they make their way to the water.

Even if you may have never considered yourself a frog lover before, I can’t help but wonder if your opinion will be altered after taking a look at these species below.

Some of these frogs we could identify and some we are just not sure of.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Vagabond Way: Kubah National Park A Frog Lovers Dream Borneo Malaysia

.
.

Guide for spotting Orangutans - Insider tips from Matt Brazier

Whilst in 2006 there was an estimated 66,000 orangutans in the world, now there’s thought to be only 45,000  – an incredibly steep decline. The prospect of seeing such a unique and clever creature at risk of disappearing in the next few decades is a powerful draw. So here’s how to best see orangutans, locally known as the people of the forest.

Choose where you want to see them: in the wild or in a rehabilitation centre, or both?

When choosing your orangutan experience, be prepared that each will have its pros and cons depending on whether you see them in the wild or in a semi-wild environment. Combining both experiences gives you a fuller picture of the survival of this animal, but it really depends on how much of a focus orangutans are for your holiday.

Rehabilitation Centre

These are centres dedicated to rescuing orangutans from habitat loss, poaching and the illegal pet trade. They usually encompass a large area of land, providing orangutans with supplementary food for support before they can leave of their own accord through a rain forest corridor out to the wild. With regular feeding times, you are virtually guaranteed to see an orangutan during your visit.

Pros:

* Very high likelihood of sighting

* Relatively close proximity to the orangutans – around 10 feet away

* Good on site information about the species

* Money goes towards conservation

Cons:

* Group environment with other travellers

* More staged and static

There are three popular centres you can visit:

1. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is a 40-minute drive from Sandakan, Sarawak. It is the largest rehabilitation centre in the world and has 43 km of protected rainforest for 60-80 orangutans to live in.

2. Semengoggoh Wildlife Centre is a 30-minute drive from Kuching and is the largest rehabilitation in the western state of Sarawak. It boasts 7 km of forest reserve for around 30 semi-wild orangutans to inhabit.

3. Matang Wildlife Centre is in the Kubah National park and is 40-minute drive from Kuching. It specialises in looking after orangutans with previous issues such as territorial and aggressive behaviours. The apes are kept in enclosures and large cages, and this is a less frequented centre as it provides quite specialist care. I mention it here for travellers particularly interested in the rehabilitation of difficult individuals.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Guide for spotting Orangutans - Insider tips from Matt Brazier

.
.

The Golden Scope - Places to see orangutans in Borneo

In case you are wondering where Borneo is, it’s an island located in South East Asia, south of Malaysia and North of Australia.

Borneo is renown for its stunning rainforests, which are home to a large number of protected animals and plants.

The island is divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south.

Today we are only concentrating on the Malaysian part, as that’s where all the best places to see orangutans are located!

If you are an animal lover, this kind of vacation is perfect for you.

Trekking in the jungle, discovering local villages and having a one-on-one meeting with a red, fluffy orangutan.

Sounds like a dream vacation to me, to be honest!

Anyway, to go back to the animals, The Golden Scope selected five places that are considered to be among the best to view orangutan.

Next thing you should do now, is picking the one you like the most and head down there to have a one-of-a-kind experience.

Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

The Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is 12 miles from Kuching, the capital city of the state of Sarawak.

The main purpose of this center is to reintroduce orangutans back into the wild.

Kubah National Park

The Kubah National Park is also located not too far from Kuching.

The park presents a center, called the Matang Wildlife Centre, which is nestled away in the forest, and is home numerous orangutans.

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

This center is situated in the state of Sabah. When there, visitors can climb up trees and feed orangutans.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The Golden Scope - Places to see orangutans in Borneo

.
.

Visiting the Orang-utans at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Kuching

One of the main reasons we included Borneo on our trip itinerary was to have the chance to see orangutangs in their natural habitat.

As the two types of orangutang are only found in Borneo and Sumatra, Borneo it was!

Numerous places offer the chance to see orangutangs in the wild or semi wild but we chose the Semenggoh Wildlife centre, a national park area managed by Sarawak’s forestry ministry.

The centre used to train orphaned or rescued orangutangs how to survive in the wild, but this role has now been passed onto the Matang Wildlife Centre in Kubah National Park.

As the programme was relatively successful, the forest surrounding Semonggoh is now home to 27 adolescent and Young adult orangutangs plus a tiny baby boy!

Mostly wild, the orangutangs spend most of their days wandering freely throughout the forest, but return to the centre for a free meal every now and again.

Because of this, a sighting is nowhere near guaranteed as during the fruiting season the animals have no need for any extra food from the centre.

Many guests never see any whilst some lucky guests have sighted as many as twelve; we felt exceptionally lucky to have been able to see five, including a newly born baby boy with its mum!

We set our alarm for 5.45am, in order to catch the local bus to the centre, around 20km outside Kuching.

Unlike Sri Lanka and India, the buses didn’t just whizz past every two minutes and we had to stick to a fairly restrictive time schedule. (This seems to be a theme in Kuching!)

The bus K6 leaves from Jalan Masjid (the second road to the left of the plaza Merdeka shopping mall when you exit from the back, or by the entrance to the fast food restaurants).

The bus service in Kuching is served by a number of different companies who all have separate bus terminals so it’s best to arrive a good ten minutes before the bus to make sure your at the right place!

We weren’t even too sure if the bus was going to show up, as all of the bus timetables contain the following warning; ‘public bus service is not accurate or reliable’!!

The wildlife centre visiting times correspond with the orang-utan feeding times, so it’s best to pick a session and then work the bus times around that.

Opening times are 8am-12pm and then 2pm-4.45pm with feelings times between 9-10am and 3-4pm approximately.

Outside the feeding times, it’s not very likely that orang-utans will be spotted visiting the centre.

We went for the morning feeding as we heard that early sightings were more likely.

We took the 7.20am bus to the centre and aimed to catch the 10.40am back to Kuching.

The fare was cheap at only 4 ringgit (70p) per person each way, with the journey taking around 35-40 minutes.

For the afternoon feeding the bus leaves the same stop at 1.20pm and returns at 4.00pm.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Visiting the Orang-utans at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Kuching

.
.

Places to see orangutans in Borneo

In case you are wondering where Borneo is and what it is, it’s an island located in South East Asia, south of Malaysia and North of Australia.

Borneo is renown for its stunning rainforests, which are home to a large number of animal and plant species.

The island is divided among three countries: Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south.

Today, however, we are only “visiting” the Malaysian part, as it features numerous places where to see wild orangutans!

If you are an animal lover, this kind of vacation is perfect for you.

Trekking in the jungle, discovering local villages and having a one-on-one meeting with a red, fluffy orangutan.

Sounds like a dream vacation to me, to be honest!

Anyway, to go back to the animals, The Golden Scope selected five places that are considered to be the best to view orangutans.

Next thing you should do now is picking the one you like the most and head down there to have a one-of-a-kind experience.

Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

The Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is 12 miles from Kuching, the capital city of the state of Sarawak.

The main purpose of this center is to reintroduce orangutans back into the wild.

Kubah National Park

The Kubah National Park is also located not too far from Kuching.

The park presents a center, called the Matang Wildlife Centre, which is nestled away in the forest, and is home numerous orangutans.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Places to see orangutans in Borneo

.
.

Night walk at Kubah National Park

WITH the current warm and dry weather, there is no better place to spend a night than at Kubah National Park.

Twenty-two Malaysian Nature Society members, their spouses and children descended upon Kubah National Park earlier this year.

The night started with participants registering and being allocated accommodation.

After a quick bite for dinner, all assembled for the introduction and briefing.

Then off we went on the short climb (about 1km) towards the famed Frog Pond.

Almost immediately we sighted numerous spiders by the roadside, then fish and prawns in the drain.

Next we encountered the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher sleeping on a branch overhanging the road edge, barely two metres off the ground.

We approached it very carefully and photographed it without flash from about a metre away.

As the night was just barely cool, the bird did not puff itself up (blanket itself with its feathers) and we were able to capture minute details with a macro lens.

Everybody observed the radiant colours with awe for quite a while.

The bird kept calm and stayed put, as it could not see at night to fly.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Night walk at Kubah National Park

.
.

Amazing Sarawak: Matang Wildlife Center

After enjoying a delicious feast of the famed Sarawak Laksa, and stopping for torches in Kuching’s city center, we all jumped enthusiastically into our car which was now pointing its nose in the direction of the Matang Wildlife Center, based in Sarawak’s pristine Kubah National Park.

Along the road to Matang we were exposed to the raw beauty of Sarawak and Kuching in particular.

We heard fascinating stories and all about the city’s “White Sultan,” Sir James Brooke, an Englishman who was said to have named Kuching after the wild cats in the area (Kuching means cat in Malaysian).

Around 35km after leaving Kuching we arrived at Matang Wildlife Center. Which is exactly that, a wonderful wildlife facility that looks after the regions spectacular animals and provides valuable human assistance to the protected animals and unprotected animals nearby.

Though the team at Matang have other responsibilities, the main program at Matang is of course Orangutan care and rehabilitation.

They use a variety of techniques to raise up abandoned and orphaned Orangutans with the ultimate goal of successfully reintroducing these guys back into their natural habitat.

As you can imagine we were extremely excited to get the opportunity to see these adorable creatures once more.

The other, equally impressive, species at Matang include Sun Bears, Sambar Deer, Civet cats, Sea Eagles, Horn-bills (of all varieties), the Bornean Gibbon, Crocodiles and more.

Unfortunately by the time we checked in the day was lost to travelling (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise) so we enjoyed some free time and headed down to the river which we heard had a few rock pools.

We were so hot and sticky that the disappointment of not seeing the Orangutan’s vanished at the opportunity to spend some time in the cool river. 

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Amazing Sarawak: Matang Wildlife Center

.
.

10 Reasons you have to visit Borneo

For me, Borneo has always conjured up all kinds of wild and mysterious imaginings-Fascinating wildlife living in the deep rainforests, native tribes with intriguing old habits and truly spectacular natural beauty.

Turns out my imagination and David Attenborough Borneo specials painted a pretty accurate picture, but there is a lot more to Borneo than most people know about it. Our 8 days of river cruising and jungle meandering was a truly eye-opening journey and here’s why I think everyone should visit Borneo at least once in a lifetime.

1. The Wildlife endemic to Borneo.

There is a reason Wildlife experts, film makers and conservationists travel all the way to investigate the unexplored rainforests of Borneo. Both states of Sarawak and Sabah boast some of the world’s most fascinating wildlife, found here only.

Seeing Pygmy elephants beside the river, Proboscis monkeys with their long noses and big bellies high up in the trees and Orang Utans (jungle people) in their natural habitat was mind-blowing. As the days drew to a close we saw crocodiles, Rhinoceros Hornbills and Longtail Macaques going about their day in the humid jungle.

The best place to spot wildlife in the rainforest, is to stay along the Kinabatangan River in Sabah (longest river in Borneo) as each lodge and backpackers offer river cruises in the morning, afternoon and night time with a guide.

To see animals that have been rescued from hunters or families holding them illegally as pets visit the Matang Wildlife Centre in Sarawak or the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah. Due to some animals, especially Orang Utans, being captured and kept illegally as pets for so long, many are not able to be released and will sadly spend their lives in enclosures.

2. Witnessing young, rescued orangutans learn survival skills.

At the Matang Wildlife Centre in Kubah National Park, we were able to watch two young Orang Utans, Buyee (1 years old) and Dr. Kok ( 5 years old) undergoing their primary school training in the forest. I have seen lion cubs, young rhino babies, tiny zebras and giraffe but there is nothing more adorable than a baby Orang Utan. Sharing 96.4 percent of our DNA, it’s no surprise these little guys appeared so human and very much like mischievous toddlers.

Visitors are not allowed to touch them as the park believes that in order to be released into the wild one day, they need minimum human interaction. Usually Orang Utans have to stay with their moms for their first 6-8 years but when separated from their moms and rescued, one human handler begins to play the role of their mother and teaches them how to build nests and climb up trees.

3. River Cruising.

Even though the birds and animals are the purpose and appeal of the river cruises, I found myself delighting in the pure enchantment of the rainforest on either side of the Kinabatangan banks. Our guide, Jamil, took us down narrow estuaries each displaying their own unique flora. Ancient trees with giant trunks stood tall beside the river, whilst other mangroves extended their branches down into the water flow.

Lime green willows swayed just above the surface and sometimes our boat glided right into a lake of lilies and ferns. Purple and yellow blooms sprouted on certain trees and tiny green and purple apples on others. It is a wonderland for photographers and botanists and with the chirping of insects, birds and call of the wild; it was the most beautiful backdrop for a boat ride.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: 10 Reasons you have to visit Borneo

.
.

Six Cool and Creepy Things You Can See on a Trip to the Rainforests of Borneo

Although it is slowly developing from a small town to a small city as far as opportunity and entertainment go, Kuching's best quality hands down is its proximity to the island's national parks and rainforests.

With approximately a half dozen parks within a two-hour drive, getting out into the natural world that surrounds the city is a must, as it is there that you will experience what makes Borneo, the home of one of the world's biggest rainforests, so special.

The Largest Flower in the World

The Rafflesia arnoldii is the largest individual flower on the planet, measuring in with a diameter up to 3 feet and weighing up to 20 lbs. It's pretty at first glance, but its fowl odor (rotting flesh) and parasitic nature quickly squash the fairy tale. Still, it's a special thing when you see it, as the flower blooms and withers within a matter of days. Your best chance to see it is at Gunung Gading National Park.

Pitcher Plants

This carnivorous plant uses a sugary nectar to attract and trap its prey, which include small moths, flies, wasps, and grasshoppers (other animals, such as tadpoles and mosquitoes, use the pitcher as a breeding ground). Monkeys have been seen drinking the water collected in the pitchers after it rains, which has earned them the nickname of "Monkey Cups." A look at the photo above and the plant's ability to blend into the jungle floor sheds additional light on why it is so successful in trapping unsuspecting prey. There are ten species of pitcher plants in Kubah National Park.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Six Cool and Creepy Things You Can See on a Trip to the Rainforests of Borneo

.
.

Something the Locals Won't Tell You: Kuching is a Hiker's Paradise

We boarded bus K21 in the Kuching City Center ($1.33) and rode out to Kubah National Park, arriving about an hour and a half after the gates opened at 9:30 a.m. When we approached the hut at the gate to pay the entry fee (approximately $6) and were asked to sign in, we noticed that our name was the only one on the sign-in sheet.

An avid hiker, this couldn't have pleased us more, the thought of having the whole park to ourselves. We went off into the jungle wilderness for the next few hours, hiking to and swimming under waterfalls, spotting pitcher plants, ekor buaya palm trees (which are used to make roofs), and stingless bees.

But the biggest surprise came when we exited the park later at 2 p.m. -- we were still the only person in the park!

As you can see on the map, there are about a half dozen parks within a two hour drive of Kuching, yet, when we were meeting locals throughout the town, everyone seemed to be confused about our jaunts into the jungle outside the city limits.

No one seemed to know what we were talking about. Finally, after several days of watching people draw blanks, we pressed for an answer: Do locals really not like to hike?

It was the waitress at a restaurant that finally set us straight, confirming that, for the most part, locals indeed do not take advantage of the wilderness that surrounds the city and engulfs Borneo. Why? Because their families -- aka their parents and grandparents, and, in some cases, themselves -- came from the jungle.

Borneo has a long history of jungle tribes, including the Iban who still live in longhouses today, and now that this generation has moved into the modern world, there's "no reason to go back."

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Something the Locals Won't Tell You: Kuching is a Hiker's Paradise

.
.

Borneo: Jungle classroom encounter

Recently, I had an encounter with one of the world's most charismatic creatures.

Deep in the primary rainforest of Malaysian Borneo, I came face to face with a "man of the forest", as the name orang-utan means in the local language.

My encounter was in the state of Sarawak, at the Matang Wildlife Centre.

Animals uprooted by deforestation or poaching are rehabilitated, then returned to the wild in the surrounding Kubah National Park.

It was there that I helped volunteers stuff hessian sacks with tapioca, jam, nuts and sunflower seeds. Wearing a surgical mask and gloves (orang-utans are susceptible to human diseases), I handed Aman, a 25-year-old male orang-utan, one of the sacks. He carefully shucked each sunflower seed, extracting the contents with his tongue.

Aman regained his sight after a pioneering operation on his cataracts. He is too old to be returned to the wild, but the younger orphans can be taught how to survive on their own.

This includes lessons in the rainforest, and I joined four young orang-utans and six rangers one afternoon.

It was like being with toddlers. The orang-utans had tantrums and lay down, refusing to move. Except for the ginger hair and wrinkled faces, it could have been my son out there. Without parents, these youngsters rely on rangers to teach them to forage and climb. One, terrified of heights, overcame vertigo after watching its foster carer climb a tree.

Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: Borneo: Jungle classroom encounter

.
.

Kubah Week to hold Bornean Frog Race this weekend

KUCHING: The Bornean Frog Race will be held at Kubah National Park, Matang, this weekend (April 27 & 28), which will include talks on amphibians and their conservation as well as exhibits of sights and sounds.

According to a press statement, the event is open to the public as part of the Kubah Week celebration and is jointly organised by the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).

Activities planned include workshops on amphibian biology and photography, exhibits on amphibians (including frog figurines, stamps, photos, books and calls) and screening of the documentary by Sir David Attenborough entitled Land Invaders from the award-winning BBC television series Life in Cold Blood (with permission from Sir David).

The international speaker for the two-day event is world renowned amphibian specialist Dr Ulmar Grafe, who had previously served as a consultant to Steven Spielberg’s film Jurassic Park.

The highlight of the event, held for the second year running, will be the Bornean Frog Race which is open to the general public especially students and naturalists.

Aimed at creating greater awareness on amphibian conservation in Borneo, this competitive event will see participants going up the main trail to Gunung Serapi, within Kubah National Park for a period of two hours, and returning with digital images of amphibians.

Continue reading at: Kubah Week to hold Bornean Frog Race this weekend

.
.

The Adventurer: orang-utans in Borneo

Last month, I had the privilege of a personal encounter with one of the world’s most extraordinary and charismatic creatures. Deep in the primary rainforest of Malaysian Borneo, I came face to face with a “man of the forest” – as the name orang-utan means in the local language.

Last year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also saw these amazing animals in the Malaysian part of Borneo. My encounter was in a wilder, lesser-known area, in the state of Sarawak, at the Matang Wildlife Centre. Animals uprooted by deforestation or poaching are rehabilitated at the sanctuary, then returned to the wild in the surrounding Kubah National Park.

It was there that I helped a group of volunteers prepare hessian sacks stuffed with tapioca, jam, nuts and sunflower seeds, which are given to the orang-utans as part of an “enrichment” plan. Wearing a surgical mask and gloves (orang-utans are susceptible to human disease and it is vital they have no physical contact with visitors), I handed Aman, a 25-year-old male orang-utan, one of the sacks. I watched, mesmerised, as he carefully shucked each sunflower seed in his mouth, extracting the contents with his tongue and removing the shell from his mouth.

Aman was blind, but regained his sight after a pioneering operation on his cataracts. He is too old to be returned to the wild, but the younger orphans can be taught how to survive on their own.

This includes daytime and overnight lessons in the rainforest, and I joined four young orang-utans and six rangers during a lesson one afternoon. We hiked through dense green foliage to get to the “classroom”, to the accompaniment of a spectacular natural orchestra of the tropical rainforest, which buzzed, hummed, chirruped, barked and roared.

It was rather like being with a group of toddlers as they rolled around on the path. The orang-utans had tantrums and lay down, refusing to move. Except for the ginger hair and the wrinkled face, it could have been my son out there in the jungle. Without parents, these youngsters rely on rangers to teach them how to forage and even how to climb. One, which had been terrified of heights, overcame its vertigo after watching its foster carer climb a tree.

Soon the youngsters had tired and it was time to return to the centre. It was moving to see these young primates riding piggyback or holding their human carers’ hands as they wandered back, clutching fruit and sticks they had collected during the afternoon.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The Adventurer: orang-utans in Borneo

.
.

Borneo: Over the Wallace Line. Part I: Kubah National Park

In April, I took a trip to Malaysian Borneo with a mate of mine, George, with the simple aim of seeing as many animals over there as humanly possible.

We began our trip in Kuching and headed for Kubah National Park for a couple of nights' stay. We dumped our bags and walked straight out into the rainforest, filled with anticipation. Within metres of our accommodation we saw a couple of crimson-winged woodpeckers and a greater racquet-tailed drongo. I glimpsed a streak of grey-brown on a branch. It took me a few moments for my mind to come to terms with what I was seeing: a squirrel (it turned out to be a Low's squirrel). We were definitely not in Australia any more.

Here was a perfect illustration of the reason that George and I had chosen Borneo as our destination - Borneo is west of the Wallace line - an important biogeographical division that separates the fauna of Australia and the islands to its north from the Asian fauna and well, essentially the rest of the world. So while squirrels and woodpeckers are common elsewhere, Australia has no representatives from these groups. Back in Australia, the land of possums and quolls, to browse through the field guides of Borneo was like reading a fairy tale: animals such as civets, leopards, porcupines, monkeys and other primates, deer, otters, shrews, mongoose and of course squirrels were as foreign and fantastical to us as goblins and leprechauns. Even common animals in Borneo would impress us with their novelty.

As well as these completely different orders of mammals, the frogs, reptiles and birds have some groups (at the family level) that do occur in Australia but are represented in different ways over here. For example, in Australia we only have one ranid frog, confined to the far north of the continent, while in Borneo the group is widespread, has several genera and a wide diversity of shapes and sizes. The situation is the inverse with Elapid snakes - only a few representatives of this family occur in Borneo (though the diversity of colubrid snakes is high). Then, as with mammals, there are the completely foreign groups of reptiles and amphibians such as vipers, flying frogs and toads.

Needless to say, we were filled with eager excitement as we began our trip.

Kubah is characterised by steep terrain, with pleasant, moderately long walking trails, creeks and a waterfall. It even featured a frog pond, of all things. We spent our time here walking the trails and road day and night. We quickly found out that Kubah is an absolute paradise for frogs (and, by extension, froggers).

The first frog we came across was a charming little ranid, the Black-Spotted Frog, Staurois guttatus. Many individuals were active in the day, perching on the rocks beside a small swift stream, making a bird-like, chirping call. I was even lucky enough to view a display of territorial behaviour in the form of foot-flagging - that is extending the hind foot and spreading the toes to reveal light-coloured webbing. Returning to this stream by night, these frogs were still out and about though seemed to sit on vegetation rather than rocks.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Borneo: Over the Wallace Line. Part I: Kubah National Park

.
.

Vanishing world of the orangutan

By NYL

Borneo's rainforests are home to thousands of endemic species of mammals, reptiles, and insects. Its most famous mammal is the 'old man of the forest' that is, the endangered orangutan.

Over 90 per cent of the world's orangutan live in Borneo. However, deforestation and hunting are taking such a toll that, within two decades, the orangutan is likely to vanish from the wild in the only two places it still lives - the island of Sumatra, which is part of Indonesia, and the island of Borneo.

In Sarawak, active conservation programmes include rehabilitation of orphaned and displaced orangutan at the Semenggoh and Matang Wildlife Centres.

The Matang Wildlife Centre lies on the western corner of the Kubah National Park and encompasses over 180 hectares of lowland forest. It caters for researchers from local and oversea universities, as well as students and interested adults.

In addition to orangutan, other endangered species found here include sambar deer, crocodile, sun bears, civets, bear cats and native birds of Sarawak such as hornbills, eagles, kites and storks.

Other attractions include a series of rock pools, swimming area, picnic spots, camping sites, scenic nature trails and waterfalls

During a visit to the centre, we saw five adult orangutans and two infants.

We were fortunate to get a glimpse of an adult orangutan, whom we were told, rarely made an appearance. At the age of 25 years, the Bornean orangutan is an impressive male with large cheek pads, a tremendous laryngeal sac and long hair. As we peered through the cage in awe of the red ape, it stared back at us in curiosity.

In Matang, there is an infant care unit built to provide medical care for infants.

Premature orangutan babies or those which are unable to suckle are taken to the unit and monitored round the clock. Newly arrived orangutan undergo a medical check-up before being quarantined for 90 days to undergo observation. After another check-up and evaluation, the healthy apes go through several stages of rehabilitation.

One of the stages is the enrichment level where they are introduced to the rest of the troupe in large outdoor socialising cages.

Swings and ropes are placed in cages for the orangutans to build up their strength and stamina in preparation for their return to the forest. Once they are about five to six years old, they will slowly be weaned off human care and contact, and brought back into the forest in stages.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Sunday
.
.

Kubah National Park - All the green wonders in one spot

By NYL

Kubah National Park, 22 kilometres from Kuching is one of the most accessible of Sarawak's National Parks and a favourite destination for day-trippers.

Named after the word kubah, which means 'dome' in Malay, the park covers the peak and slope of the dome-shaped Gunung Serapi, which is part of the Matang Ridge with two other peaks - Gunung Selang and Gunung Sendok. On a clear day, these three mountain peaks are visible from the Kuching Waterfront.

A trip to Kubah National Park is a pleasant experience as it houses one of the best collections of palms and orchids. Primarily serving as a water catchment area, the park has four main trails which vary in duration from about two to six hours and covers a diverse range of picturesque settings, including a majestic waterfall.

The easiest hike is the Gunung Serapi Trail which has a tarmac road that starts at the park headquarters leading to the mountain summit and a telecommunication tower on its peak. It passes through mixed dipterocarp forest and joins up with the other trails, giving visitors the option of continuing on into the forest, visiting the waterfall, or returning along the Gunung Serapi Road. Making it more special is the unique pitcher plant garden, an area along the trail specially landscaped with the exotic plant.

But what makes Kubah special is the richness of its palm trees. There are more than 80 palm species in Kubah and nearly a quarter of them are endemic to Borneo. Many of the palms were first described by the great Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari, who spent three years in Sarawak from 1865 to 1868, and recorded his findings and experiences in a remarkable book, "Wanderings in the Great Forests of Borneo". The park´s Palmetum Trail cuts through the pristine forest where you get to see palm species such as licuala and rattan pantu, pinanga, appendicula, dipodium and eria.

The trail to the waterfalls is the most challenging. It is about two kilometres long and passes through numerous plank walks over swampy areas and streams. The path is lined with buttress-rooted rainforest giants, many draped with large spiralling vines that remind us of their great age. These sometimes block the trail and need cutting before you can pass. During the rainy season, leeches are a problem. Insect repellent, leech socks and heavy clothing are the best way to ward off the troublesome creatures. Other trails include the Rayu Trail spanning 3.8km that connects the park and Matang Wildlife Centre, as well as the Salang Trail that has a viewing point from where you can get a panoramic view of the surrounding forested area.

Kubah is also home to a variety of wildlife, including bearded pigs, birds, sambar deer, mouse deer, civets, porcupines, squirrels and numerous species of reptiles and frogs. Probably one of the most rewarding experiences is an overnight stay in one of the Kubah's forest lodges where you can go night trekking to spot some of the nocturnal creatures in the park.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin Sunday
.
.

Borneo Highlands Resort are birding havens in Sarawak

BORNEO Highlands Resort, Kubah National Park, Semenggoh Nature Reserve and Bako-Buntal Bay are birding havens as they are home to more than half of all bird species found in Sarawak.

Sarawak has 553 bird species out of which 312 are found in these sites, says Third Sarawak Bird Race patron Datuk Ose Murang.

He said 12 out of 37 endemic bird species could be found in these four sites.

“Borneo Highlands Resort is one of the few places where we still can find hornbills. Sarawak has eight hornbill species out of which four are found in this mountain range,” he said at the closing of Sarawak Bird Race at the resort, about 50km from Kuching on Sunday.

The resort is an “Important Bird Area” under Birdlife International.

Ose was glad to note that bird-watching had evolved from a favourite pastime to an environmental conservation activity in Sarawak and hoped that the annual race would garner more support from nature lovers and the government.

The presence of birds were important as the well being of the environment was indicated by the number of birds and bird species found in a particular site, he added.

Assistant Tourism and Heritage Minister Datuk Talib Zulpilip, who closed the race, commended the organisers Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and Borneo Highlands Resort for promoting conservation through an enjoyable activity.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Borneo Highlands Resort are birding havens in Sarawak
.
.

Sarawak Bird Race 2010 - Time for bird-watching

THE Bird Race returns for the third time with more activities and plenty of fun this year.

Dubbed the Sarawak Bird Race 2010, the event themed “From the Sea to the Mountain” will be held on a bigger scale this year.

Jointly organised by Borneo Highlands Resort (BHR) and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), it is aimed at promoting love and appreciation for nature including bird preservation among the community.

BHR in a press statement issued yesterday said a bird race was a “fun race” where teams of two compete against each other in searching, identifying, and recording as many species of birds within a stipulated time.

It will be divided into three categories, one Long Race which covers areas in Buntal, Kubah National Park, Semenggoh Wildlife and Borneo Highlands Resort, and two Short Race which are confined to areas around Borneo Highlands Resort.

Entry fees are RM100 per team of two for the Long Race, and RM60 per team of two for the Short Race.

Continue reading at: Sarawak Bird Race 2010 - Time for bird-watching
.
.

Sarawak Bird Race to record the most birds

DESPITE what the name suggests, a bird race to be held in and around Kuching in October will not see birds racing to the finish line.

Those in the race, however, will be people with good eyes, ears, binoculars, a guidebook on birds, a torchlight, pen and notebook to record the birds they sight.

Jointly organised by Borneo Highlands Resort and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), the Sarawak Bird Race returns for the third time with more activities and plenty of fun in store.

Deputy State Secretary Datuk Ose Murang, the event’s patron, said this year’s race would be held on a bigger scale and carry the tagline From the Sea to the Mountain.

He said the three-day event from Oct 8 would have teams of two trying to outdo each other in searching, identifying and recording the most number of bird species within a set time frame and location.

There will be a long race and a short race. The long race will be flagged off at Buntal beach on Oct 8 and will cover Kubah National Park, Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and Borneo Highlands Resort. The short race will be held only around Borneo Highlands Resort on Oct 10.

“The race is actually a fun event in which the participants, especially nature lovers, will seek bird species ranging from common and exotic to extremely rare at the four places.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Sarawak Bird Race to record the most birds
.
.

World's smallest frog the size of a pea found in Sarawak

ONE of the world’s smallest frogs was discovered in Borneo, scientists said today.

The pea-sized amphibian was found living in the distinctive flask-shaped pitcher-plant near a mountain in Kubah National Park, said researchers from the University Malaysia Sarawak.

Dr Indraneil Das and colleague Alexander Haas tracked down the micro species from their distinctive dawn call of “harsh rasping notes that last for a few minutes with brief intervals of silence".

"We heard the calls of this frog, and we knew the calls of all frogs in the area, and this was different.

At first we couldn't see it, but eventually we found it, and I had to trap the frog in one of my baby son's clean white diapers in order to really see what it looked like, it was so tiny," Dr Das said.

The frog measures just three millimeters as a tadpole and grows to about nine to 11mm as an adult.

It belongs to the Microhylid family of frogs, all of which are under 15mm in length.

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: World's smallest frog the size of a pea found in Sarawak
.
.
.