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Lower Kinabatangan River
- Endemic Creatures In
Wild Terrain
It is said that the Chinese Imperial merchants sailed up the Kinabatangan
River in search of the precious bird's nests. Its floodplain is
one of the most exceptional areas in Malaysia. Influenced by the
tides of the Sulu Sea and rainfall in the interior, the lower part
of the river plain floods regularly. Thus over the centuries, 5
distinct habitats have evolved, waterlogged and dry forests, saline
and freshwater swamps and limestone forests, each contributing towards
some of the most diverse concentrations of wildlife in Borneo.
The River is 560km. long and the Lower Kinabatangan is estimated
to have the largest concentration of wildlife in all of Malaysia.
In fact, all 8 species of hornbills found in Borneo - the rhinoceros,
helmeted, black, pied, wreathed, wrinkled, white-crowned and bushy
crested hornbills, have been spotted here. The region is also renowned
for colourful tropical birds, crocodiles, huge monitor lizards,
wild pigs, otters and several species of monkeys and tree snakes.
It is a haven to the rare proboscis monkey, orang utan, the oriental
darker, king-fishers and more...
A dawn or dusk river ride past swamps filled with mangrove and
nipa promises exciting sightings of wildlife. A view that never
fails to delight is a glimpse of the playful proboscis monkeys.
These huge-bellied, long-nosed primates with long white tails live
by the river and are especially active during these hours when they
are socialising, crashing through trees or foraging for food.
The unique landscape feature of the Kinabatangan is the unusual
oxbow lakes. A crescent-shaped lake lying alongside a winding river,
these lakes are formed as erosion and deposits of soil changes the
river's course over time.
An unforgettable experience is the peaceful and serene village-life...
as dawn creeps across the river... gentle mists shroud the surreal
atmosphere... voices maybe heard across the water as you catch the
silhouettes of children floating past in their boats... amidst the
birds singing and the animal calls...
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