Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
hooked to IVs that pump bile from their gallbladders. Thankfully this does not happen in
Sabah, although the bears are still under enormous threat from habitat loss.
Set to open to the public in 2013, the BSBCC , at the time of research, cared for some
27 rescued sun bears. The pretty little beasts lumbered and played in open-air forest en-
closures; visitors will be able to peek in on their activity from an expertly crafted walkway
system. The BSBCC does good work, and is another activity option for tourists to con-
sider when visiting Sepilok. Please note the centre's admissions and opening times may
change, as it was not officially open at the time of writing.
Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC)
( 089-533780;
www.forest.sabah.gov.my/rdc
;
adult/child RM10/5; 8am-5pm)
The
RDC offers an engaging graduate-level education in tropical flora and fauna. Outside the
exhibit hall - itself filled with displays that are easily accessible to children - a botanical
garden presents varying samples of tropical plant life, the accompanying descriptions
every bit as vibrant as the foliage. There's a gentle 1km lakeside walking trail, studded
along the way with environmental education signage. A series of eight canopy towers
connected by walkways give you a birds-eye view of the green rooftops of the trees, by
far the most rewarding element of a trip here. Paddleboats (RM5) are available to ride
around the inviting lake near the centre's entrance. You can also book night walks, which
afford the chance to spot nocturnal animals like tarsiers and wild cats.
It's best to get there either at 8am or 4pm, as wildlife tends to hibernate during the
sweltering hours in the middle of the day. A proper visit along the trails and towers takes
around 1½ hours.
NATURE RESERVE
Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary
( 089-672133;
www.proboscis.cc
; admission RM 60, camera/video RM10/20)
Probos-
cis monkeys
(Nasalis larvatus)
are an even more exclusive attraction than orangutans.
After all, you can see orangutans in Sumatra but the proboscis is found only on Borneo,
although if you take a close look at them, you'd swear you've spotted one in the corner at
a dodgy bar. Named for their long bulbous noses, proboscis monkeys are potbellied and
red-faced, and males are constantly, unmistakably…aroused. With the arrival of
Europeans, Malays nicknamed the proboscis
monyet belanda
(Dutch monkey). Because of
their diets, proboscis monkeys tend to have severe flatulence, another attractive element
of this already most graceful of species. Jokes aside, the proboscis are oddly compelling,
and one of nine totally protected species in Sabah.
SANCTUARY
