Bako National Park

Bako National Park ~ Sarawak, Borneo

In and around Bako ranger station

If you want to see lots of local fauna, this area is the best place to spot them. I guess we were the lucky ones. The residents around the centre are :

	Bearded wild pig - a family of wild pigs are found rummaging for food around the canteen and chalets and sometimes along the beach. They are relatively harmless but keep your distance and try not to provoke them, taunt them etc.
	Long Tailed Macaques - there are several troops patrolling the grounds. Although generally harmless, they can be a nuisance. These monkeys have a habit of thieving. Leave anything on the table and the next instance, a cadet has snitched it and run off up into the trees with your stuff. So don't leave anything unattended, don't leave the windows open when you leave the room and try not to feed them.
	Silver Leaf Langurs or Silver Leaf Monkeys - visitors can often find a family swinging from tree to tree in the daytime. These shy monkeys keep very much to themselves and their only interest is to fill themselves with young shoots and leaves.
	Wagler's Pit Viper - the last trip we were shown a tree in the rangers' quarters with at least 3 pit vipers lounging under its leafy shade. These snakes are venomous but just observe from a safe distance, as it is quite often poised in a tightened spring position and can uncoil pretty fast. This as a defence and also because it's vital diet of rats and birds has to invoke them to react fast or go hungry. Adults can grow to 90cm long and a litter up to 16 young are born. These snakes are born green with red and white spots along their backs, which later fade away.
	Flying Lemur - to spot these creatures are difficult. They are nocturnal, arboreal and well camouflaged into the surroundings. But if you do get to see it especially in 'flight'. It's the most amazing sight and rare would you ever see one in the daytime. The best places to spot these animals are high up among the treetops, check along tree trunks. They adhere themselves to the vertical trunks comfortably and can remain motionless for hours. Best place? A cluster of jungle trees found in the open grounds between the chalets behind the rangers' station.

A little further on from the jetty, take the walkway to the mangrove swamp. This is where you may get to see the following:

Fiddler crabs - lots of these around, especially along the muddy banks

Mudskippers - like the crabs, can be found playing along the banks

Oriental Small-Clawed Otter and the Hairy-Nosed Otter - The oriental small-clawed otters are sometimes seen at Sungai Assam and the Hairy-nosed otter are sometimes seen early in the morning around the mangroves at Telok Assam. They spend most of their time in the water, feeding on fish, frogs and other small animals.

Proboscis Monkey - I think this highly endangered creature is the highlight for most visitors who come to Bako. Preferring young shoots of mangrove trees, these monkeys occasionally leave the safety of high treetops to forage at ground level along the muddy flats of the mangrove swamp. We had the privilege to witness such a rare sight on our last visit. The males came down to the flats whilst the young ones and the females remained in the forest cover. They spent a good hour on ground, moving from one stunted tree to the other. Being camera and people shy, they tried their best to keep out of view, hiding behind trunks and leafy cover. Best time to see them is early in the morning around daybreak and late evening before nightfall. There seems to be only one family around this area but according to the ranger, there are a few other families on the other set of mangrove swamp around the teluk assam area.

Water Monitor Lizard - can be found around the waterfront and sometimes under the jetty. Normally shy of people.

Boat prices to get around Bako National Park

For those not wanting to trek to the other pristine beaches found on the other side of the headland. Take a look at the rates ; then make arrangements with other visitors who has the similar intentions and split the cost.