We arrived back from Libaran Island at around 9.30 in the morning, walked back to our car that we had parked in a parking garage in the nearby shopping mall, and headed off towards Sukau. We were got g to spend two nights in a lodge by the river Kinabatangan to see the wildlife in the area: different types of monkeys, birds, maybe even pygmy elephants or a clouded leopard. The distance is only around 100 km, but due to the road having only two lanes and being under construction in some parts it took us over 2.5 hours to get to Sukau, also partly due to heavy rain showers. The last part of the road had a lot of big potholes, but we made it to our destination alright. We parked the car next to the jetty and called the lodge, and they sent a boat across the river to pick us up.
We were staying at Naturelodge Kinabatangan, a lodge that is only accessible via boat. We were shown into a small bungalow overlooking the river and made before having tea with the other hotel guests and heading off for a boat cruise on the
river. Our guide, A.J. was very good at spotting wildlife. We saw several groups of proboscis monkeys. The male monkeys have remarkable noses, and we learned that the bigger the nose, the more attractive the male will be to females. Tastes are different, I guess 😉. Proboscis monkeys jump from tree to tree, often across big distances, and they are exciting to watch because at times one worries that they might fall. Usually, however, they manage to grab a twig and continue jumping from one tree to the next. Close to these monkeys we could also often see and macaques.
When cruising down the river a bit further, we saw a big orangutan high up in a tree. It was a male, which we could see because of his cheeks. Male orangutans have cheeks that make the face look wide. He was hanging around in the tree for a bit, and his style of climbing with the one the macaques and the proboscis monkeys displayed, I realised that there was a big difference. Orangutans swing from branch to branch and from tree to tree, whereas proboscis monkeys jump from tree to tree, and macaques
often rather walk on the branches than climb them, and they also spend quite a few time on the ground, which orangutans do not do at all. Also, macaques and proboscis monkeys sleep sitting on a branch, and their trails help then balance the weight. Orangutans are too heavy for that. The one we saw built himself a nest in the treetop. He broke off larger twigs and braided them into a real nest. These nests can sometimes have several floors or appear like a bunk bed. Eventually the orangutan put himself to rest, and we continued our ride down the river and saw more monkeys. There were also birds, for example an eagle and a beautiful and brilliant red and blue king fisher. There were also a few Asian black hornbills, and we learned that they are monogamous and stay with one partner for their entire life. When one dies, the other one does too.
After about two hours, we returned to the hotel for dinner, and after dinner we went for a night walk into the jungle. The ground was very muddy, and we were glad that we could borrow gum boots from the hotel. I hate
cleaning shoes, and I would have hated getting the mud off my own boots. We quietly followed A.J. along the muddy path. All that we could hear were the nocturnal sounds in the jungle. It was very dark, and we could barely see the sky, so it was good that we had our torches with us. We did not get to see any wildlife except for a few spiders and earth worms, but still, it was a special experience to be out there in the jungle at night.
The next morning, we got up at 5.30 and left for an early morning river cruise at 6 oclock. Night turned into day rather quickly, as it does when you are close to the equator. The atmosphere was almost magical. There were a few low clouds in the trees, there was mist on the water, and the air was fresh.
