28 Incredible Borneo Animals and the Best Places to See Borneo Wildlife

Straddling the equator and divided among three countries – Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – Borneo is the third-largest island on Earth and one of the greatest wildlife destinations on the planet. Its tropical rainforests are home to an extraordinary diversity of Borneo animals, from giant apes to pygmy elephants to wild cats and flying frogs, many of which occur nowhere else on earth.

Over three trips in three years, I have explored its forests in depth, from the ancient rainforest of Danum Valley to the wildlife-packed banks of the Lower Kinabatangan River and the extraordinary night drives of Deramakot Forest Reserve. In this guide, I introduce my favourite Borneo animals and where to spot them in the wild.

Borneo Animals

Borneo is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Some species, like the Borneo bay cat or Tufted ground squirrel, are almost never seen. But the majority of Borneo’s wildlife can be spotted with some patience and determination. Here are the top 28 Borneo animals to add to your Borneo bucket list.

Borneo orangutan

Borneo animals - orangutan — Borneo Orangutan / Adobe stock

One of the most iconic animals of Borneo, the Orangutan is also one of the most threatened. Did you know that the Orangutan builds itself a fresh nest out of tree branches each night? While the branches are fresh, they are supple and soft to sleep on. But by the following night, the twigs dry up, and the nest becomes too hard for the shaggy ape to sleep in.

Sadly, the Orangutan is Critically Endangered in Borneo, mostly due to habitat conversion to oil palm plantations. The best place to see orangutans in Borneo is the Kinabatangan River and Deramakot Forest Reserve.

Proboscis monkey

The Proboscis monkey has got to be one of the oddest-looking primates on earth and one of the most comical animals in Borneo. Their bulging pot bellies and oversized noses give them the look of grumpy old men. Unfortunately, just like their bigger relative – the Orangutan- the Proboscis monkeys are endangered mainly due to the loss of habitat, which is being converted to oil palm plantations at an unprecedented rate.

For now, they can be easily seen on the Kinabatangan River or in Bako National Park if you are in Sarawak.

Pig-tailed macaque

If you have spent any time on the Kinabatangan River, you are well familiar with Pig-tailed macaques. They are bold, conspicuous animals that travel around in small troops. Because of their apparent lack of fear of humans, they are fun animals to watch as they carry on about their day playing, fighting, grooming each other and often making fools of themselves.

Unlike most primates, Pig-tailed macaques are equally comfortable on the ground and in the trees. They are one of the most reliably seen Borneo animals — a morning cruise on the Kinabatangan River will almost certainly turn one up.

Borneo pygmy elephant

A type of Asian elephant, the Pygmy elephant is the largest terrestrial mammal in Borneo. Though that doesn’t mean that it is easy to see. The Kinabatangan River, Deramakot Forest Reserve and Danum Valley Conservation Area are all good spots to look for elephants.

Sunda Clouded Leopard

Arguably the most beautiful wild cat on earth, the Sunda Clouded leopard is Borneo’s only big cat. Currently listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, it is an elusive nocturnal hunter that is very rarely observed in the wild. For your best chance of spotting the Clouded leopard, head to Deramakot Forest Reserve with Adventure Alternative Borneo (see details below).

Marbled Cat

The Marbled cat looks like a small clouded leopard. Its coat is similarly patterned, and its tail is equally long. And just like the Clouded leopard, the Marbled cat spends most of its time up in the trees. They are fond of ambushing flying squirrels by sitting on a branch and patiently waiting for them to emerge from their tree-hollow homes. The best chance to spot a Marbled cat is in Deramakot.

Sunda Leopard cat

The most common, or rather the least uncommon, wild cat in Borneo, the Sunda leopard cat, is a small and handsome hunter. It is quite tolerant of habitat disturbance, and it can occasionally be found in oil palm plantations. To see it in a more natural setting, take a night drive in Danum Valley or Deramakot Forest Reserve.

Malayan sun bear

The Malayan sun bear is the smallest and the most arboreal of all bears. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the sun bear is its exceptionally long tongue, which the bear uses to extract honey and insects.

It is the only bear species in Borneo and one of the most difficult to see. To spot one, you will need a lot of time, dedication and, most importantly, luck. They are occasionally spotted in the Deramakot Forest Reserve.

Maroon langur

The Maroon langur is born with a bright orange coat that gradually darkens to the deep maroon of the adult. The contrast between the orange infants and their dark maroon mothers makes family groups particularly striking to watch, especially as they leap across the forest canopy with incredible agility. The best place to see them up close is the Danum Valley Field Centre.

Sunda Colugo

Animals Borneo - Colugo with a young — Colugo with a young. Image – Pixabay

Often referred to as the flying lemur, the Colugo doesn’t actually fly, no it is a lemur. But it is able to glide across considerable distances using flaps of extra skin that extend between its paired limbs. It is active at night, and the best place to see it is the Deramakot Forest Reserve.

Philippine slow loris

The Slow loris lives high up in the canopy and comes out to forage for food at night. Growing to all of 300 grams in weight, this big-eyed primate is one of the smallest slow lorises in the world. It can be seen without much trouble on night drives in Deramakot and Danum Valley.

Western tarsier

The Tarsier looks as if it were made from spare parts. Its giant eyes take up most of its face; its fingers are as long as its entire arm, and its incredibly long back legs could have come from a frog. The best chance of spotting a tarsier will be on a nocturnal jungle hike.

Malay Civet

Malay civet is one of the most attractive Borneo civets. It is reasonably easy to see at night, even around villages. The best places to see Malay civet, however, are the protected areas on the island. Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley, and Deramakot Forest Reserve are all good places to spot this handsome viverrid.

Common Palm civet

Another common nocturnal animal is the Common Palm civet. Unlike its primarily terrestrial cousin, the Malay civet, you are most likely to see a Common Palm civet in the tree branches. This is one of the most common animals in Borneo, and you won’t have trouble spotting it in any of the protected areas.

Banded palm civet

Banded palm civet is one of the rarest Borneo rainforest animals. Like Malay civet, it is mostly terrestrial in habit, but it is much, much harder to see in the wild. Banded civets have quite a broad distribution range and have some tolerance for habitat modification, but they probably naturally occur in low densities.

For your best chance of spotting this very handsome civet, head to Deramakot Forest Reserve. This is where the image below was taken. We’ve seen only two or three-banded civets during a couple of weeks in Deramakot.

Binturong

The most unusual member of Borneo’s civet family is the Binturong. Its shaggy coat makes it look like it has just gotten out of bed. Sadly, the binturong population is declining across Asia, and it has been listed as Vulnerable since the 1980s. Not surprisingly, it is pretty rare across its range.

The good news is that binturongs are not as uncommon in Deramakot Forest Reserve. The bad news is that they usually snooze very high up in the canopy of Borneo’s giant rainforest trees, making them very difficult to see, especially at night.

Red giant flying squirrel

Borneo is home to a variety of flying squirrels, and the Red giant flying squirrel is the largest of them all. Despite their name, flying squirrels don’t actually fly. But they are able to glide over large distances with the help of a flying membrane, which is essentially a flap of skin that extends from their front feet to their back feet, as you can see in the image below.

Red giant flying squirrels are some of the most abundant animals in Borneo, and if you spend any time in the jungle at night, you are virtually guaranteed to see them.

Bornean pygmy squirrel

On the opposite side of the size scale from the giant flying squirrel, the Bornean pygmy squirrel weighs only about 20 grams and grows to 7.5 centimetres (plus a five cm-long tail). This adorable tiny rodent is the world’s smallest diurnal squirrel.

It is usually active around the bottom half of tree trunks, more or less at our eye level, which makes it reasonably easy to spot. I have seen pygmy squirrels at Kinabatangan River and in Deramakot. They are tiny, but they move about quite rapidly, so you usually pick up movement out of the corner of your eye and then see the animal itself.

Sunda skink

Sunda skunk in Deramakot Forest Reserve,Borneo — Sunda skunk in Deramakot

A skunk in Borneo? You bet! The Sunda skunk or Sunda stink badger is not closely related to the North American skunk, but it can sure spray you with a foul-smelling substance that it secretes from its anal scent gland.

But don’t worry, there isn’t much chance of stumbling on the Malayan stink badger in Borneo. These animals are quite difficult to find. For the best chance, head to Deramakot Forest Reserve, where I took the image below.

Rhinoceros hornbill

Rhinoceros hornbills are among the most majestic birds in Borneo. It is the national bird of Malaysia and the state bird of Sarawak.

Like other hornbill species, the Rhinoceros hornbill displays interesting breeding behaviour. The pair builds a nest in a tree hollow, and once the eggs are laid, the male seals the female in the hollow, using mud and feces to construct a wall. Only a small hole is left so that the male can pass the food to the female and to the chicks once they are hatched. The Kinabatangan River is a good spot to see it, along with a few other hornbill species.

Black and red broadbill

One of my absolute favourite birds in Borneo is the Black and Red broadbill. These birds are actually more colourful than just black and red, but it must’ve been impractical to include any more adjectives in their name.

They can be seen in most protected areas, but the best place to see them is the Kinabatangan River, where they build their nests to hang off the tree branches that arch above the river.

Buffy fish owl

Buffy Fish Owl is the most common nocturnal bird in Borneo. It is instantly recognisable by its impressive eyebrows, which are, in fact, ear tufts that all fish owls have. You can easily spot Buffy fish owls at night, practically in any protected area you may wish to visit.

They are abundant on the Kinabatangan River, in Deramakot Forest Reserve and in Danum Valley. Their diet is not restricted to fish and aquatic organisms; they also feed on reptiles, frogs and even small birds.

Crested serpent eagle

While the owls dominate the night sky, the most familiar bird of prey during the daylight hours in Borneo is the Crested serpent eagle. It is not uncommon to see it swooping in to grab a lizard or a snake from the grass.

This eagle is quite common across most of Borneo and can be easily spotted at Kinabatangan River, Danum Valley and Deramakot. You can even see them flying above the road as you travel across Borneo.

Blue-eared kingfisher

The Blue-eared kingfisher is one of the most brilliantly coloured birds in the Borneo jungle. They occur near forested streams where their bright colouration makes them easy to spot despite their small size (16cm).

The best way to see them is on a boat safari on the Kinabatangan River. They are relaxed enough to allow the boats to approach quite closely and will happily hunt right in front of you.

Saltwater crocodile

Yes, of course, there are crocodiles in Borneo. They are easy to see on the banks of the Kinabatangan River. Sukau locals are quite nonchalant about living with crocodiles, even though these are the saltwater crocs – the most dangerous crocodiles on earth.

The crocodiles on the Kinabatangan River are smaller than their cousins in Australia, which may explain the peaceful relationship between riverside villages and the ancient reptiles.

Cave Racer

As its name suggests, the Cave racer lives in limestone caves, including the magnificent Gomantong cave in Borneo. Gomantong cave is home to a few million bats, which is precisely why Cave racers like this cave. They catch their prey as it flies by and kill it by constriction, like pythons, rather than with poison.

The best time to see them in Gomantong cave is at dusk, when the bats are becoming more active in preparation for their epic exodus from the cave. Watching millions of bats emerge from Gomantong cave each night is quite a spectacle.

Grey-tailed racer

Another racer you may encounter in Borneo is the Grey-tailed racer. This snake prefers to live in the trees and rarely descends to the ground. It feeds primarily on birds that it catches in mid-air while hanging off tree branches.

I haven’t heard of Grey-headed racers congregating in groups, but on one of my trips to Kinabatangan River, we spotted four (!) Grey-headed racers camped up in a tree together.

Wallace’s Flying Frog

Borneo fauna is unique for the abundance of flying animals. In reality, most species don’t actually fly, but glide from one tree to another. The Wallace’s flying frog is the most spectacular gliding frog on the island. It can be spotted at night after heavy rain.

While Wallace’s flying frog population is decreasing, it is currently listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Best Places To See Borneo Wildlife in Borneo

The Malaysian state of Sabah is Borneo’s greenest state, with the highest proportion of the original forest cover remaining intact despite the alarmingly high deforestation levels. The state has an extensive system of National Parks and protected areas and offers some of the finest wildlife-watching opportunities on the island, as well as some of the best offshore islands in Borneo.

Danum Valley

Lying about 2.5 hours by road from the coastal town of Lahad Datu, the Danum Valley Conservation Area is home to one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Estimated at 130 million years old, this forest has a distinctly primeval feel.

Thick clouds of mist float lazily over the tops of some of the tallest tropical trees on Earth. Lush vegetation in all possible shades of green covers every surface in the forest.

The wildlife is everywhere in Danum Valley: Bearded pigs and Sambar deer frolic on the lawns around the living quarters, and the cheeky Maroon langurs frequently visit the camps. The suspension bridges over the Segama River and canopy towers bring you even closer to wildlife.

But the best wildlife watching in Danum Valley is at night on a safari drive. You are virtually guaranteed to see Flying squirrels, a few species of civets, Colugos and Slow lorises. And if you are lucky, you may spot Borneo pygmy elephants or even a Clouded leopard. For more details, check out my guide to a 4-day adventure in Dannum Valley.

Deramakot Forest Reserve

Deramakot Forest Reserve is located in the heart of Sabah, about a 4-hour drive from Sandakan. This little-known reserve is the pride and joy of the Sabah Forestry Department. Granted, a logged forest doesn’t sound like a winning wildlife watching destination, but Deramakot is a different story entirely.

It is managed for reduced impact logging, meaning that only the trees that can be extracted with minimal impact to their surroundings are removed. And once an area is harvested, it is left to rest for 40 years.

As a result, the forest retains its wild nature. It provides habitat for an impressive 75% of mammal species in Sabah, including all five species of Borneo’s wild cats.

I have not seen such a high diversity of wildlife anywhere else in Asia. It is the best place in Southeast Asia for spotting rarer species, like the Clouded leopard, Marble cat, and Otter civet, as well as Bornean Orangutans and Borneo Pygmy elephants. For more details, check out my post about searching for the Sunda Clouded Leopard in Deramakot.

Kinabatangan River

Of all Borneo wildlife hotspots, the lower Kinabatangan River is where you are most likely to experience Borneo animals up close. Sadly, the reason for this abundance is that wildlife has nowhere else to go.

Pushed by the encroaching oil palm plantations, the animals are trapped in the narrow stretch of forest on the riverbank. If more land is cleared, we will lose this wildlife haven for good. But for now, the wildlife is safe.

The visits to Kinabatangan revolve around the river cruises. There are early morning, late afternoon, and night cruises. The morning and afternoon cruises are perfect for birds and primates.

You would be pretty unlucky not to spot some typical Borneo animals – a few species of Hornbills, the pig-tailed macaques, crocodiles and the endangered Proboscis monkeys – the world’s oddest-looking monkeys.

Lower Kinabatangan River is one of the best places to see orangutans in Borneo. The Critically Endangered apes are being pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss. Another iconic Borneo animal you may encounter on the river is the Borneo Pygmy Elephant. Even if you only have time for a single safari on the river, you are likely to see quite an abundance of rare wildlife.

The night cruises bring you up close to the nocturnal species: civets, Slow lorises, owls, and, if you are lucky, even the endangered Flat-headed cat. The river itself is a different world at night – silent and misty. For more details, check out my guide to visiting the Kinnabatangan River.

Best time to visit Borneo

Borneo is one of the wettest places on Earth. Even outside of the rainy season, tropical downpours are frequent, so be prepared to get drenched at least once during your stay.

For the best chances of staying dry, visit between April and October. It also happens to be the best time for spotting wildlife, as it coincides with the flowering and fruiting season.

28 Incredible Borneo Animals and Best Places to See Wildlife in Borneo