The proboscis monkey
A giant nose found only in Borneo.
Charles J. Sharp — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Charles J. Sharp — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Taufik — CC0 · Taufik — CC0
A private sanctuary on the edge of the mangroves near Labuk Bay, set up by the owner of an oil palm estate who, the story goes, chose to protect the proboscis monkeys living in the mangrove forest on his land rather than clear it. The proboscis monkey lives only on Borneo, and the males are famous for their huge drooping noses and pot bellies; they live in mangroves and along rivers. The sanctuary has two feeding platforms: the first, where food is put out at half past nine in the morning and half past two in the afternoon, and the second, at half past eleven and half past four. The monkeys leap out of the forest onto the platforms a few metres from visitors, often joined by macaques. Entry for foreigners is about sixty ringgit per adult and thirty per child, plus a small camera fee. There is no convenient public transport, so it is easiest to go by car or on a tour from Sandakan or Sepilok. Aim for a midday or afternoon feeding so you can pair it with a morning at Sepilok, and bring water and a hat, as it is hot and humid. The monkeys come when they please, so arriving a little early gives you a better chance.
A giant nose found only in Borneo.
Monkeys a few metres away.
A natural home by the bay.
Inside an oil palm estate near Labuk Bay, about 40 km north-west of Sandakan
The half-past-eleven or half-past-two feeding suits a day that starts at Sepilok. The monkeys come when they please, so arriving a little early gives you a better chance of seeing them.