The
Kinabatangan River, the second longest river on Borneo, stretches and winds for
a length of 560 kilometers. And while more
than half of the island has been deforested and replanted as palm oil plantations,
there are still areas along the Kinabatangan where visitors can view wildlife
in their natural habitat. One of these
areas is the Kinabatangan River Wildlife Sanctuary, an area covering 260 square
kilometers. In recent years, boat
cruises (also referred to as boat safaris) along the river have become very
popular as an ecotourism activity.
The Boat Cruises
Visitors usually book these
cruises through the lodges where they stay, and the quality and sturdiness of
the boats used for these cruises vary by lodge.
Some lodges utilize small boats which ride only a few inches above the
waterline, and, when one remembers that the Kinabatangan is populated by huge
saltwater crocodiles, it makes for an exciting, albeit nervous ride.
Some lodges employ larger boats.
The
Kinabatangan is a very slow flowing river.
Consequently, the surface of the river sometimes resembles the surface
of a lake, and when there is no wind, it takes on a glassy, reflective
appearance. In the morning just after sunrise, and in the evening at sunset,
these conditions can create especially beautiful scenes. The water itself is a very muddy brown color,
and visibility in the water below the boat is basically zero. (Perfect hiding conditions for hungry crocodiles.)
The
water on one particular branch river had a dark, almost black color. I was told that this was caused by tannins
leaching out of the peat grass along the banks in that area.
Animals Seen During
Cruise
The
boat cruises manage to get considerably close to the wildlife that populates
the land around the river. Below are
some of the creatures that we spotted during four separate river boat safaris.
Long-tailed
macaque
Pig-tailed
macaque
Orangutan
Proboscis
monkey
Blue-Eared
Kingfisher
Cattle
Egret
Gold-ringed snake
Monitor
lizard
Close Encounters With
Wild Animals
Since
the lodges along the Kinabatangan River are located within the forest (in fact
many are accessed by boat), wildlife spotting can often be enjoyed even without
leaving the property. Here are some of
the animals that I spotted during a two-night stay at one such lodge.
This orangutan was in a tree
immediately next to the entrance of the lodge.
Visitors could view it from a distance of about 3 meters.
This
Borneo Black Squirrel descended from its tree to accept pieces of fruit offered
by lodge staff.
This
wild boar was part of a family that was permanently parked on the grounds of
the lodge. The boars fed on kitchen
scraps thrown out daily by the lodge staff.
Staff
at the lodge explained that this Malay Civet had been a regular visitor every
night for more than 10 years. The civet
is visibly aged, and its right eye appears to be obstructed by a cataract.
Although
this visit to the Kinabatangan River allowed me to view many wild animals for
the first time, I was not able to see a saltwater crocodile or a wild
elephant. I guess those two animals will
provide me with enough reason to make another trip to Borneo.
(Note:
All photos in this post were taken during a visit in February 2017. The comments in this post are based on
observations made at that time.
Conditions may have since changed.
Please check it out for yourself!)
