A glimpse of Borneo's creatures -- September 26-28, 2007

As much as I loved seeing the orangutans at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, there is nothing like seeing a wild orangutan in the jungle. Unfortunately, much of Borneo's wilderness is quickly falling prey to vast palm plantations so many of its treasured animals -- such as the orangutans, rhino and elephants -- are endangered. One area that continues to house a wide variety of wildlife is the Kinabatagan River and consequently, has become a popular tourist destination.

With the exception of the cheeky macaques who often sneak up on distracted visitors to steal food right from their hands, the animals of Borneo are justifiably wary of humans and can be difficult to see with untrained eyes. That's why I decided to put myself in the hands of the expert guides at Uncle Tan's, a rustic camping outfit on the Kinabatagan River. The facilities were basic (bucket showers, thin mattresses with mosquito nets) but the staff were professional, friendly and evidently well trained to spot Borneo's shy wildlife.

During my stay at Uncle Tan's, I embarked on several treks through the jungle as well as river safaris, including one memorable night ride in an open skiff during a torrential rain storm. This photo shows the gathering clouds just before it hit.



In some cases, the wildlife came right into the camp so we got to see bearded pigs, civet cats and monitor lizards up close and personal. I was disappointed that the area's elephants were 50 miles downriver from Uncle Tan's, but I more than thrilled to see crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, silvered langurs, otters, hornbills, Brahminy kites and, on our last day, a wild orangutan high up in the trees near the camp.

One of the most popular activities was the night trek into the jungle to view nocturnal animals. Along with rare frogs, birds and a newly discovered tarantula species, we met up with this enormous scorpion. According to our guide, it is safe to allow it to walk onto your hand but we were warned not to grab it from above as the venom is sprayed from its back. Needless to say, I was still a bit wary!



While the organized activities were great, my favourite moments at Uncle Tan's was during our free time where we were able to walk along the jungle paths on our own. During these solitary jaunts, I could feel the jungle pulse with life around me - birds chirping away in exotic song, cicadas and crickets calling out to each other, the grunts of hidden primates calling out warnings of my presence. I could almost feel hundreds of little (or big) eyes peering at me from behind the dense jungle walls.