ONCE an important waterway for traders from far away China who sailed up the mighty Kinabatangan River in heavy junks that they would load with edible birds' nests, two centuries later, Sabah's longest river is still a hotspot.

But instead of sailing in junks from where the river flows into the Sulu Sea, travellers are now whizzing along in speed boats and vans so that they can catch a glimpse of diverse wildlife found at this eastern region of Sabah.

While the Kinabatangan floodplain is still home to the Gomantong Caves - where birds' nests are today collected under strict monitoring by the Sabah Wildlife Department - it also shelters primates, birds, reptiles and rare mammals.

It is one of the very few places on earth that harbours 10 primate species, the most notable being the proboscis monkey which commonly lives in a large family led by a dominant male.

Male proboscis monkeys, which have large protruding noses, mingle freely with females and young off-springs in trees on the banks of the Kinabatangan and its tributaries.

The Long-tailed Macaque is another primate commonly found here and can be spotted swinging from tree to tree or playing on wire and rubber hose bridges built across the tributaries by Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Project (KOCP), a local non-governmental organisation.

Proboscis monkeys are the star attraction in Kinabatangan.

Apes In The Wild

However, the orang utan, made popular worldwide by its role as a mascot in Malaysian tourism promotion efforts, can be difficult to spot. A solitary creature, it lives high in the trees, building a fresh nest daily and often moves from one location to another in the forest.

A good time to spot the orang utan is during the fruiting season when it comes to pluck red and green figs growing on the river banks.

To see it in the wild, book a tour with Kampung Sukau community-based outfit Red Ape Encounters and Adventures. The company arranges tours to the KOCP study site that's 15 minutes from Kampung Sukau, one of the largest settlements on the banks of the river, offering eco-sensitive tourists a chance to not only see the primate in the wild, but also to find out more about the challenges facing the orang utan and other species in the floodplain.

Birds And Elephants

Fortunate tourists may get a chance to see a herd of the Borneo Pygmy elephant, a sub-species and smaller version of the Asian elephant, crossing the river or feeding on tall grass at its banks.

Other wildlife include the estuarine crocodile, civet cats and snakes. There are about 200 bird species, including eight types of hornbills. The more common ones are the Asian Black Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill and the Rhinoceros Hornbill.

The Oriental Darter, White Egret and Kingfisher are easy to spot from the boat or while observing the river and its surroundings from comfortable wooden decks in several lodges.

The floodplain has, over the years, gained a reputation as a wildlife viewing site, attracting tourists from as far away as United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Japan. However, it is yet to be fully explored by Malaysian travellers, noted Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said who recently visited the area.

According to WWF-Malaysia, the area is "arguably the last forested alluvial floodplain in Asia". In 1999, it was declared as Sabah's gift to Earth.

Though it is not possible to provide environmental protection to the entire floodplain (which is an equally important site for oil palm), some 26,000 hectares have been gazetted as the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, which falls under the purview of the Sabah Wildlife Department.

Tourists at the Menanggul river, a tributary of the Kinabatangan river.

People Of The River

Several forest reserves under the jurisdiction of the Sabah Forestry Department also exist in the floodplain and at the upper reaches of the river. Conservation efforts by local and foreign institutes of higher education and by NGOs are on-going, including creating forest corridors for wildlife to move between the different pockets of jungles.

The 560km river, which flows from the mountains to the Sulu Sea, provides a livelihood for several ethnic groups, including the Orang Sungai who live in villages scattered along its banks in the lower reaches.

The Orang Sungai still hold on to their culture and putting up at one of several homestays at Sukau, Bilit and Batu Puteh is a great way to learn their traditional dances, fishing methods and to sample giant freshwater prawns.

How To Get There

Daily flights are available from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan, after which a pre-arranged tour will take you on either a boat journey from Sandakan Bay to lodges or homestays.

The alternative is to take a two-hour van or bus ride from the Sandakan airport to Sukau which has many lodges. The 42-km ride from the Kinabatangan-Lahad Datu road junction to Kampung Sukau is currently closed for tarring the off-road, hence making the journey a lot more comfortable. The roadworks are almost completed.

The more adventurous can travel by road from Kota Kinabalu, a journey of seven hours. It's best to make arrangements before going as public transportation from the junction to the riverine villages is poor.