Page 203 - Westport Guide To Malaysia

THE GUIDE TO MALAYSIA 195
vast cave systems are found at Niah and Mulu National Parks. Mulu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also has the greatest concentration of bird
and amphibian species in Malaysia.
Sabah offers orangutans
at Sepilok and proboscis monkeys and Bornean pygmy elephants in the Kinabatangan Wetlands, Danum Valley Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, is
home to Malaysia’s highest mountain (4,095 metres)
as well as many bird and orchid species found only on Kinabalu’s slopes.
Even in the cities and resorts, the abundance of bird and insect species, along with thoroughly urbanized troops of long-tailed macaque monkeys, proves that nowhere in Malaysia is ever really untouched by Mother Nature.
A mother and juvenile Bornean orangutan enjoy a snack at the supplementary feeding station in Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, Sarawak.
State Park in Perak and Endau Rompin National Park in Johor are all noted for tigers, tapirs, Asiatic elephants and binturong (bearcat), as well as hundreds of bird species. The spectacular UNESCO Langkawi Geopark in Kedah
boasts phenomenal
rock formations and seascapes, Lake Kenyir in Terengganu is an angler’s and nature lover’s paradise, and most of the Malay Peninsula is dotted with fascinating cave systems. Many natural attractions are located in
urban areas, such as Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia in Kepong, Selangor.
herbivores include two elephant subspecies, the Malayan tapir, various wild pigs, the seladang or wild ox, giant squirrels and the world’s largest civet, the binturong or bearcat. Other notable mammals include the bizarre moonrat, the colugo or flying lemur, the ant-eating pangolin, the tiny mouse deer, the rare Irrawaddy dolphin and the placid, sea-grazing dugong. The 25 primate species include the orangutan and the bizarre, long-nosed proboscis monkey, both found only in Borneo. Peninsular Malaysia offers langurs, gibbons and siamang and commonly seen long-tailed macaques.
Malaysia has an excellent network of National and State Parks where many iconic species can be viewed. Taman Negara
in Pahang, Royal Belum
In Sarawak, Bako and Kuching Wetlands National Parks are home to proboscis monkeys, orangutans can be viewed in Semenggoh and Matang Wildlife Centres, and
Adolescent male tiger cubs Hebat and Wira pictured at Zoo Negara. The cubs are part of the zoo’s successful captive breeding programme for endangered species.