Page 84 - World of Animals - Issue #31

Explore the Earth

Meet mild-mannered

pygmy elephants

The origin of the world’s smallest elephant remains unclear.
It was long believed that they were the descendants of a
domesticated herd of mainland Asian elephants that were
released onto the island in the 18th century, which would
explain their gentle nature. But more recent studies using
DNA suggest that Borneo elephants have been isolated
by their cousins for at least 300,000 years and are now
considered to be a separate subspecies. Either way, the
‘pygmy’ moniker is a little misleading; growing to as tall as
2.5 metres (8.2 feet), the Borneo elephant is only slightly
smaller than other subspecies of Asian elephants.
Due to deforestation, this endangered elephant’s range
is now restricted to northeastern Borneo. Numerous
conservation areas in Sabah, most notably Tabin Wildlife
Reserve and Ulu Kalumpang Forest Reserve, have been
designated to promote sustainable tourism and ensure the
continued survival of this baby-faced, docile elephant.

Hear the honks

of proboscis

monkeys

You’re likely to hear these comical-looking
primates long before you see them – the

males use their distinctive flattened noses
to emit a loud honk that echoes through the
treetops when they wish to alert the rest of
their group to danger.
The proboscis monkey can only be found
on Borneo, where it favours mangroves
and swamp forests. Largely arboreal
(tree-dwelling), their diet consists mainly of
leaves, seeds and unripe fruit. This difficult-

to-digest diet has resulted in the evolution
of another amusing physical feature – their
pot bellies. Compartmentalised like a cow’s
stomach, their complex guts act like a
fermentation tank.
Although endangered due to
deforestation, there are several places where
you have a good chance of an encounter,
including Sarawak’s Bako National Park and
Kalimantan’s Tanjung Puting National Park.
The best time to arrive is either dawn or
dusk, when the monkeys forage for food.

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