http://www.nst.com/ 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.
 
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.

 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.