Borneo's Big Five

Ten primate species, eight hornbills and one wildlife-rich river — meet the five animals everyone comes to Borneo hoping to see.

BIG FIVE

5 icons

PRIMATES

10 species

HORNBILLS

8 species

BEST ODDS

3 nights

Who Are Borneo's Big Five

Home to both the endemic Bornean orang-utan and the proboscis monkey, the Kinabatangan is Malaysia’s second longest river and one of only two places in the world where 10 different species of primate can be found. It is also home to 8 species of hornbill, with oriental pied and rhinoceros hornbills the most commonly spotted.

Lucky visitors will catch sight of Bornean pygmy elephants feeding on the river banks or taking a dip in the river, and it is not uncommon for orang-utans to make their nests in the lodge grounds or the nearby forest.

How long do you need? Every extra night is another dawn cruise and another dusk cruise — most guests book two or three nights on the river.

Your best chances :

Proboscis monkeys — almost every afternoon cruise
Wild orang-utans — most often on dawn cruises and jungle walks
Pygmy elephants — herds move through seasonally, luck plays a part
Rhinoceros hornbills — heard before they are seen, all year
Estuarine crocodiles — basking on the banks and at night

Meet The Big Five

Proboscis monkey

The Kinabatangan is the best place in Sabah to see proboscis monkeys, and of Borneo’s Big Five, they’re the easiest to find — showing up on nearly every cruise. You won’t mistake them for anything else: that long, pendulous nose, more pronounced on the males, smaller and upturned on the females.

They live in troops — one dominant male, a handful of females, their young — along the riverbanks and the forest behind them. And they swim. Watch long enough and you’ll likely see one cross the river outright, chasing down the leaves, shoots, fruit and seeds it actually wants.

Bornean orang-utan

Ask any wildlife enthusiast what they’re hoping to see in Borneo, and orang-utans usually top the list. They’re solitary animals, not social like their long-nosed cousins, and they sleep high — a new nest built in the canopy most nights, out of reach of anything on the ground. It’s what keeps them safe. It’s also why they’re hard to find.

Hornbill Lodge sits among fruit trees old enough to draw them in year-round. Some mornings, that’s an orang-utan nesting in view of your balcony before you’ve had coffee. Other times, it’s a nest spotted from the boat, or feeding remains on the trail. Never guaranteed. Always possible.

Bornean pygmy elephant

Probably number two on Borneo’s “most wanted” list is the Bornean pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis).

Most adult pygmy elephants are around 8 to 10 feet / 2.4–3m tall, and if you are lucky enough to spot one you may well wonder how the term “pygmy” came about at all. They are actually a subspecies of the Asian elephant and only a little smaller than other Asian elephants — but still very much elephant-sized.

Rhinoceros hornbill

Stay at Hornbill Lodge for a chance of spotting number four on our Borneo Big Five list, the rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros).

One of 8 species of hornbill found in the region, it is named after the casque that resembles a rhino’s horn, and features striking black plumage with white tail feathers. Rhinoceros hornbills can often be spotted alone or in pairs during river cruises, or while you are relaxing on your balcony — just keep an ear out for their distinctive calls and wingbeats.

Number Five: The Estuarine Crocodile

The estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) may not be on everyone’s bucket list, given its reputation as a fierce hunter, but observing an adult estuarine crocodile from the safety of your boat is an awe-inspiring experience.

Never swim in the river

Estuarine crocodiles are present along the whole lower river.

Night cruises

Eyeshine on the bank is the easiest way to find them after dark.

Keep your distance

Our guides hold the boat at a range that does not move the animal.

Ten Primates And Counting

Beyond the Big Five, the Kinabatangan is one of only two places on Earth with ten primate species in range — and the boat rides and trails around the lodge give you a genuine chance at spotting several.

Ten primates: