Flat-headed Cat

I just came back from an amazing 10 day volunteering trip in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and was lucky to sight a Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) on one of my night excursions on the river. This nocturnal feline was observed hunting (in a sit and wait position) very close to the river edge most likely waiting patiently for either fishes or frogs. Its webbed feet and streamlined head allows for speed of movement in the water - a perfect adaptation for life in the river.

Sightings of this species is generally considered to be rare and this is not surprising as its habitat is slowly diminishing especially the important riverine habitats. According to the IUCN, Flat-headed Cats is an endangered species with only about 2500 of them left within its range. This clearly reinforced the need to continue protecting and expanding current wetland and rainforest area to protect this endangered feline.

I managed to take a couple of photos of this beautiful feline for about less than 60 seconds before it retreated back into the forest. Here, i would like to share with all of you one of my shots. Enjoy!

Photo taken with a Nikon D 300 + 70-300mm VR lens shot at 300mm f 5.6 iso 800 with rear flash. Photo taken on the banks of the Menanggol river on the 12th of September 2010 at 10pm. (N 05 29' 48.4" ,  E 118 14' 53.0")

The Long Tail Parrots of Borneo

The well-known parrot family is poorly represented in the island of Borneo with only 4 species found. Those found are the Long Tail Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda longicauda), the Blue-rumped Parrot (Psittitus cyanurus), the Blue-crown Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus), and the Blue-naped Parrot (Tanygnathus lucionensis). In comparison to the other parrot family species such as the Cockatoos, Lori's parrot or the Fig-parrots which are found mainly further east in the New Guinea and Australian region, most of the parrots in Borneo are predominantly green in colour and lack the outstanding bright and rainbow like colours of the other species. Nevertherless these species has to be appreciated in order to conserved it as they are endangered mainly because of its demand as a bird pet.

This Long Tail Parakeet photo was taken in the village of Sukau, Lower Kinabatangan feeding on a ripe flower bud of the Simpoh laki (Dillenia excelsa).

All photos taken with a Nikon D300 + 70 - 300mm VR, ISO 400 at f 5.6.

Maroon Langur (Presbytis rubicunda)

World Cup fever is over and a big big Congratulations to Spain on thier great achievement this year. Looks like its gonna be another 5 years to wait before the next World Cup comes around the corner. The past 1 month of exciting football with a lot of surprising upsets ~ albeit the late nights and early morning start just to see it has really made me needing "extra time" to recuperate. I guess thats the same with all football fans as well. Hopefully you will all stay awake at work and fare better than this sleepy Maroon Langur napping in the afternoon.

5 minutes later...

Maroon Langur or also better known as the Red leaf Monkey. This is a Bornean Endemic primate. Photo taken in Gomantong Caves with a Nikon D80 + 70-300mm VR.

Global Warming?

It has been awhile since i last updated my blog (thousand apologies on that).. and it has also been awhile since we last had any "REAL" rain in Sabah (not my fault though). This ongoing drought that we have been experiencing since the last 7 weeks have seen changes in our natural landscape in particular our rivers are slowly receding in its water levels, soil surfaces are cracking due to the extreme dryness and minor forest fires are happening here and there cause by the heat and constant humidity. This is a total contrast to when I was at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in January this year. There, I saw the onset of the northeasterly monsoon, a period of time when the whole of sabah will be lashed by heavy rain and I also saw how fast the water can rise in less than a week of continuous rain. This flood lasted for about 3 weeks and just as it stopped, the dry period we are experiencing right now started. For most of the wildlife in the rainforest, wether it is rain or shine or drought or flood or even la-nina or el-nino the need to survived in such unpredictable weather patterns have allowed them to slowly acclimatize and to also change and at times improvise from thier normal behaviors to adapt to these circumstances. This weird weather pattern that we have been having has led me to believe that this could be the start of the effects of Global Warming. Are we ready to adapt and improvise to such uncertainty in our environment now?

"Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given. But up to now he hasn't been a creator, only a destroyer. Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wild life's become extinct, the climate's ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day." [Uncle Vanya, 1897]

Nikon D300 + 70-300 mm VR at 300mm F 5.6 ISO 800, Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Helmeted Hornbill (Buceros vigil)

"Imagine being on the tropical island of Borneo and drifting quietly down a steam in a dug-out canoe. The giant trees of the rainforest rise on each bank like cathedral spires, and the creepers which festoon them form cloisters that conceal the dark damp interior. Raindrops pattering on the foliage and distant rumble of a retreating thunderstorm form a backdrop of sound, though which penetrates a single mournful hoot. More hoots follow at intervals, accelerating in tempo until they break suddenly into peals of maniacal laughter. Two huge birds then burst across the dome of the sky, their naked red heads extended and metre-long tail feathers trailing behind. Cackling loudly, they ram into one another like mountain sheep’s… Male Helmeted Hornbills are busy in defense of their territorial boundaries."

(Alan Kemp from his book HORNBILLS -1995)

The Helmeted Hornbill has captured the imagination of a lot of people since it was first discovered in written science by the early explorers to the tropical rainforest of Asia in the early days. The unmistakable size of this hornbill, reaching up to more than 1 metre plus its long elongated centrail tail feathers, its distinctive reddish yellowish casque which is Solid and its interesting hooting to eventual laughing call makes this species of hornbill unique in its own way. 54 species of hornbills occur in the world with 8 of them being found here in the island of BORNEO. The 8 are the Oriental Pied Hornbill, The Asian Black Hornbill, The Bushy Crested Hornbill, The Wreathed Hornbill, The Wrinkled Hornbill, The Rhinoceros Hornbill and also the Helmeted Hornbill.

This species are considered to be a rarity of sightings these days as their numbers have significantly dropped due to the loss of its natural habitat ie the lowland dipterocarp forest. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the helmeted hornbill is evaluated as Near Threatened. If you do see one, you will realized that it is not an easy proposition to photographed this bird as they rarely descend lower from the canopies of most trees. They are also very shy and wary, a behavior which have most likely developed due to the pressure of hunting for its casque and feathers not so long ago. This are some photos of this rare hornbill which I hope to get a better photograph one day. Wish me Luck!! :P

Photos taken along the main Kinabatangan River, (N 05 32. 118' E 118 17. 442'/Pangi Forest Reserve - Fig Tree) Sukau Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife sanctuary on 16 June 2009.

Nikon D300 + 70-300mm VR at 300mm F 8 ISO 500

The Flying Dutchman of BORNEO

Hmm.. A Flying Dutchman in Borneo? Doesn’t it sound very much like Captain Davy Jones warship in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? Well, before delving deeper into this subject and to avoid it from being to confusing and complicated, I think it is best that I clear the air on this mysteriously title post of mine. The Dutchman that I am referring to is none other than our enigmatic Proboscis Monkeys or locally known as the “Monyet Belanda”, the Dutchman Monkey. A name which has for long been used as a reference to the early Dutch colonialist that came to explore and accumulate the deep riches of Borneo in the early days. 

Now as you have all known why it is called the Dutchman, you might probably start asking about the flying bit. Well, all I have to say is that you will have to SEE it to BELIEVE it. This sequence of photos was taken just last week in the Menanggol River a lively tributary in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.  This is for me the REAL Flying Dutchman of Borneo : The Proboscis Monkey "Flying" without Wings. Enjoy!!

 Isn't that Amazing? For me seeing it happening just in front of my eyes and to capture the whole "Flying" sequence from the very start to finish is just simply AWESOME. This is not something that you get to see everyday in the Kinabatangan. Lucky Me! I just wish i had a Video Camera with me at that time, maybe this sounds for another additional equipment needed in my already expanding camera inventory: maybe a Nikon D90 or a D5000? Well, we will see. This is for sure another of our Natural Wonders of Borneo : The Proboscis Monkeys "Flying".

PHOTO TAKEN ALONG SUNGAI MENANGGOL, SUKAU LOWER KINABATANGAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY ON 15 AUGUST 2009 AT 03:59 PM.

NIKON D300 + 70-300mm VR at 300 mm F 5.6 ISO 500 

Our Gentle Giant : The Bornean Pygmy Elephants

I was thinking of what to post on my blog to kick start its inaugural edition when it suddenly came into my mind that i should start it out with posting wildlife images of the BORNEAN PYGMY ELEPHANTS. For me personally, the pygmy elephants are a real joy to observed in the wild and i can definetely sit or even hide for hours just to observe and photographed them in thier natural behaviour. The best moment for me will be when you see these elephants going down to the river to swim and cool off. It is just simply amazing! 

A big herd of pygmy elephant having a SPLASH in the river.

The Bornean Pygmy Elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis) is the smallest of all Elephant species in the world. But don't get fool by its name though, as the pygmy elephants are by no means small. They are GIANTS indeed. An adult male pygmy elephant can grow up to about 2.5 metres high while females to about 2.0 metres in height. In a day this giants can eat up to 150 kg of vegetation, feeding mostly on a wide variety of palms, grasses, tree bark, roots, leaves and wild bananas. Studies have shown that the elephants diet consists of at least 162 species of plants (in 49 families), including several dipterocarp tree species.  This giants also require up to about 200 litres of water to drink in a day and needs supplementary minerals, which they will obtain from natural salt licks. 

 Pygmy elephants feeding on the elephant grasses (Saccharum spontaneum)

The Borneo Pygmy Elephants has just recently been classified as a subspecies of the Asian Elephants. Its nearest of cousins are the Sumatran Elephants (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) found in Sumatra, Western Indonesia, the Indian Elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) found in South Asia with distributions in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Western Myanmar and also the Sri Lankan Elephants (Elephas maximus maximus) found in the South west of Sri Lanka. The pygmy elephants are only found in the island of Borneo but in restricted ranges on the Northeastern part of the island. The highest concentration of these elephants are in the pockets of tropical lowland rainforest of Eastern and Southeastern Sabah and the Northern part of Kalimantan Indonesia. Estimates are around 1200-1500 in the wild but their numbers could be much lower than this.

Pygmy elephants traveling on their ancient migratory route.

The origins of the Pygmy Elephants has always been debated by scientist all around the world. Until recently the pygmy elephants of Borneo were believed to be a remnant population of a domesticated herd (suspected as the now already extinct Javan elephants) abandoned on the island by the Sultan of Sulu in the 17th century. But a 2003 DNA analysis carried out by WWF, Columbia University, Sabah Wildlife Department and Local Researchers proved that the pygmy elephants  are genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, thereby recognizing it as a likely new subspecies and emphasizing its conservation priority. According to the DNA evidence, these elephants were isolated about 300,000 years ago from their cousins on mainland Asia and Sumatra. These subspecies currently living in Borneo possibly became isolated from other Asian elephant populations when land bridges that linked Borneo with the other Sunda Island and the mainland disappeared after the Last Glacial Maximum. Isolation may be the reason that these elephants has evolved to become smaller, more rounder with relatively larger ears, longer tails, and straighter tusks. The evolutionary history of Borneo's elephants justifies their recognition as a separate evolutionary significant unit (ESU).

The pygmy elephants migration.

The pygmy elephants play a very important role as "architects of the rainforest." This is because the elephants create large clearings in the forest where they gather at highly rich in minerals salt lick and preferred drinking spots. After hundreds and even thousands of years of continuous elephant trampling and digging, some of these clearings may reach several hundred metres across. The elephants keep these clearings open by trampling young colonizing plants and also by feeding on the new leaves. These clearings attract other species of animals which drink at the water hole and allows carnivores to hunt prey exposed in the open area. The pygmy elephants, by feeding on young leaves in the forest, also allow more light to penetrate the canopy and reach down through the gloomy rainforest floor. They not only clear areas, but also contribute to tree dispersal, in that several species of seed will only germinate after passing through an elephant's digestive system.

A matriarch female with a satellite collar.

In July 2005, five pygmy elephants were darted and outfitted with satellite collars by the Sabah Wildlife Department with WWF assistance, after tracking the elephants on foot through the dense jungle proved to be too difficult over long periods. Since elephants live in matriarchal societies, only adult female elephants were collared so that each elephant collared represents a whole herd's movements. Each of this collared elephants belongs to a herd of about 30-50 elephants but they often split off into smaller groups for days or weeks at a time. The collars sent GPS locations to a WWF computer via satellite as often as once a day. This was the first long-term study done on the Bornean Pygmy Elephants. Satellite data revealed that the remaining herds of Borneo elephants prefer jungles on flat lowlands and in river valleys, the same areas preferred by loggers and for oil palm plantations. Human activity has pushed elephants to unsuitable swamp areas and restricted their ranges to narrow corridors. Over the last four decades, about 40% of the forest cover in Sabah has been lost to logging, plantations and human settlements.

A "HORNY" full grown adult male pygmy elephant.

So how we can help in conserving this gentle giants are by being more observant anytime we come across the pygmy elephants in any nature areas that we visit. Being more observant means that we have to keep and eye and look real carefully at each individual elephant to see if there is any signs or visible injuries on thier bodies, to take note of any unusual behaviour seen and also the whereabout location of where the herd is travelling or feeding. Why this is important is because the location on where we have seen this elephant migrating or feeding is a good indicator of what might be a traditional elephant migratory route and by recording this down or even better the GPS co ordinates of this area, we will be able to share this data with relevant organizations who will use it to convince stakeholders of the land not to destroy or develop the land as it is an important elephant migratory pathway. Taking photos of each elephants are also important as we will be able to help elephant researchers on the field to identify each individual elephant and from which herd it might come from. All of this data will come in handy to conservation bodies such as WWF or goverment department like the Sabah Wildlife Department.

Lucky visitors observing the pygmy elephants feeding along the river.

In Borneo, these giants are located in areas stretching from Sebuku Sembakung in north-east Kalimantan through to Maliau, Danum, Kinabatangan and Tabin on the eastern side of Sabah. The best place to see them will be in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary especially during thier migratory season. This is when large herds of the pygmy elephants will come together along the river and at times reaching up to more than 6o individuals in a large congregation. Most of this photos are taken in the Kinabatangan. Enjoy and lets help out these gentle giants, one of our Natural Wonders of BORNEO.

A herd of pygmy elephants.

A young pygmy elephant suckling its mum.

Just cooling off.

A sub adult pygmy elephant male enjoying his time in the river.

Pygmy elephants are "HEAVY DRINKERS."

Pygmy elephants are BIG WILD animals so always keep a safe distance!