The island of Borneo is shared by three big countries in Southeast Asia, which are Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. Also take a look at the other animals native to Southeast Asia. The island of Borneo is known to be one of the world’s most bio diverse regions.
In the island of Borneo, you will be able to find some dense and unexplored rainforests. Inside the rainforests, there are many species of amazing animals there, such as elephants, tigers, deer, primates, insects and birds as well.
Besides the common animals mentioned before, there are some animals that are
native to this island. In other words, you might not be able to find these
species of animals anywhere else. Here they are the native animals of the
island of Borneo with their unique and amazing characteristics.
Let’s take a look at the most unusual animal in the island of Borneo called the proboscis monkey or Nasalis larvatus. This species of reddish-brown primate has a long nose which can reach up to 18 cm in males.
The long nose has its own purpose, which is to attract mates and to amplify the sound of warning calls. Besides that, proboscis monkeys also have grey limbs and a pot belly.
Regarding to their diet, they mainly feed on mangrove
shoots and insects. The proboscis monkeys are named after their nose.
Unfortunately, these proboscis monkeys are considered as strictly protected
animals, with only 1,000 remain in the wild. Small populations can be found in
Kota Belud and Beaurfort near Kota Kinabalu and also along Kinabatangan River
in Eastern Sabah.
Bears are mostly related to polar bears or grizzles. However, the island of Borneo has its own species of bear, called a sun bear. The bear is commonly called Malayan sun bears, and they can easily be found in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia.
Compared to the other species of bear, a sun bear is typically smaller than others. A sun bear typically resembles a small dog. Known as one of the nocturnal and shy species, they are rarely found in the wild. Get to know the other bears you can find around the world.
You will be able to take a glimpse of this sun bear
while you are on a trip to Sabah’s Danum.
Orangutan is simply translated as “a man of the forest”. This orangutan is referring to the resemblance of this primate to humans. You will be able to find this orangutan in Borneo and also Indonesia’s Sumatera.
Orangutan is known to be an intelligent animal. Here are the other facts about Sumatran orangutans too, including the physical characteristics and the diet as well.
However, the population of orangutan keeps declining
due to deforestation, logging and hunting. Now, the Borneon orangutans can only
be found in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Sambar deer are nocturnal animals, and they are considered as some of the Asia’s biggest deer. The adult males of Sambar deer can reach up to 2 meters long and a weight of over 200 kilograms.
Sambar deer are also easy to spot across Southeast Asia as they live mainly in the Borneo’s rainforests. If you visit Borneo, then you will be likely able to find this animal.
Also, observe the native animals of the Philippines, the neighboring country of Indonesia.
Another species of deer other than Sambar deer is
mouse deer. Technically, a mouse deer is not a deer, instead it is classified
as a tragulidae. The mouse deer are nocturnal and solitary animals. They spend
their lives mostly in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatera.
Regarding to their size, their height can reach up to 1 feet, and it looks like a small cat. That’s why mouse deer is considered as the world’s smallest hooved animal.
This shy animals possess a remarkable ability of reproduction as the females are able to conceive just two hours after birth and the newly born fauns are able to stand only after 30 minutes.
Elephants tend to be big and intimidating because of their body size, but Borneo pygmy elephants are known to be the smallest elephants among the others. They mainly live in the northern and northeast Borneo. These tiny elephants have over-sized ears and long tails.
Sadly saying, the population of these cute animals keep declining due to deforestation and illegal hunting. It is estimated that there’re only 1,500 to 3,000 remain in the wild.
If you’re lucky, you will be able to catch a glimpse of these Borneo’s pygmies at Danum Valley Conservation Area and some are possibly found swimming in the Kinabatangan River.
There are two other species of elephants in the world, get understanding about the differences between African elephant and Asian elephant.
The last native animal of the island of Borneo is the clouded leopard. Clouded leopards are considered as one of the most elusive animals in the island of Borneo.
They tend to live in treetops throughout the rain forests in Asia. They also possess an incredible and agile climbing ability. They are nocturnal and prefer to hunt smaller animals, such as deer, pig, and monkeys.