Proboscis Monkey photos courtesy of Paul Swen
The Houston Zoo’s VP of Animal Care, Sharon Joseph, and two excited travelers, Linda and Gail, embarked on an adventure to Borneo for the opportunity to view the regions wildlife along the banks of the Kinabatangan River a few weeks ago. This unique opportunity was provided by the Houston zoo’s travel program. In the inner east coast of Sabah, they saw some of the world’s rarest mammals, insects, reptiles, and birds while visiting with Houston zoo’s conservation partner, the Hutan which oversees the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project. They trekked through swampy forest and paddled down winding rivers, getting rare glimpses of unique species such as proboscis monkeys and smooth otters.
They were guided by a community operated tour company called Red Ape Encounters whose guide Mincho had been trained as a research assistant and nature guide by Hutan. Local people are always the best guides as they are so at home in the forest. Their eyes are trained for their environment so they have the ability to notice what would be considered “unnoticeable” to us. One night cruse, as Mincho scanned the shore with a spotlight, all it took was the sight of the tiny tip of a tail to point out a species of small cat called a leopard cat for the group to see. Mincho did everything he could think of to make sure they saw all of the wildlife that the island had to offer from Bornean elephants to orangutans.
Bornean orangutan photos courtesy of Paul Swen
The group had a great viewing of wild Orangutans when they ventured out to experience the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP). The project was founded in the village of Sukau, in Malaysian Borneo by Hutan in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department. The project’s objective is to restore harmonious relationships between local people and the orangutan.
A great time was had by all and they ended up seeing 27 species of bird, 11 species of mammal and 6 species of reptile. They also ended up making a life long friend of Mincho who took pride in introducing them to his village and family.
Comments from the trip:
“Linda and I had an idea of the work going on, based on the information you sent to us. Then we met and talked with Dr. Marc , Dr. Benoit and Dr. Isabelle , saw the programs detailed charts, sketches and newspaper articles, and it became perfectly clear what Hutan is accomplishing with support from the Houston Zoo. They did not look at Linda and me as tourists – how much more special could one feel, since having inside information on their studies allowed us into areas that many other travelers could not access? Along with their one-on-one dinners whereby we could ask any questions about the program and Mincho making sure we ‘did’ see the elephants – in a very Harrison Ford way, it was a trip most travelers only dream of. You can read and read, but still not be truly ready for an experience like this. From the very moment we arrived in Koto Kinabalu, we knew this trip would be like no other. Linda has been to Africa several times and is still raving about this trip.
Mincho is certainly a treasure, the kindest person on this planet – he took us to meet his teacher, his wife and children. He did everything within his power to make every little wish come true – the smallest details were taken care of. He is truly a great representative for Red Ape and Zoo.”
