WHAT ARE THE BORNEO BIG 5? PLUS HOW & WHERE TO SEE THEM IN THE WILD!

When we were picked up from the Sandakan airport as part of our 2 weeks in Borneo, our gleeful guide and driver turned round to us and said “Are you excited to try spot the Borneo Big 5 while you’re here?!”.

Confused, we asked him what he meant. It turns out, the ‘Borneo Big 5’ describes the 5 most iconic animals found in Borneo:

The Orangutan 🦧
The Pygmy Elephant 🐘
The Proboscis Monkey 🐒👃🏼
The Rhinoceros Hornbill 🦏🦤
The Estuarine Crocodile 🐊

THE BORNEO BIG 5 EXPLAINED

1. THE ORANGUTAN

Pictured: A male orangutan feeding on low hanging fruits along the Kinabatangan River, one of the best moments on our 2 weeks in Borneo itinerary! — Pictured: A Bornean Orangutan, the most iconic and well known species in the Borneo Big 5. We were very lucky to see this old male Orangutan along the Kinabatangan River bank feeding on the low hanging fruits! Photograph taken by Jordie.

The most recognised of the Borneo Big 5 is of course the Orangutan, a docile primate species that is without a doubt the most emblematic symbol of Borneo.

Instantly recognisable by their flaming red fur, wild Orangutans can live up to 30-40 years. Known as the “Man of the Forest”, they spend the majority of their life high up in the tree canopies, including to eat and sleep.

When we stayed at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley, our assigned guide Jonathan told us that Orangutans actually make large nests high in the trees.

We saw many empty Orangutan nests when we completed the on-site Hanging Bridges canopy walk. It takes them approximately 10 minutes to make a nest, and they never sleep in the same nest twice!

Unlike other primate species, Orangutans mostly live solitary lives to ensure they are dispersed enough to have a good fruit supply per primate. Their favourite food to forage on is fruit, though have been known to also eat tree bark, leaf shoots and even some insects.

The best places to see wild Orangutans in Borneo are:

Kinabatangan River, Sabah (river boat cruises)
Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah (jungle trekking)
Tabin Wildlife Reserve (jungle trekking / 4WD night drives)
Deramakot Forest Reserve (4WD day and night drives only)

Where you can see Orangutans in rehabilitation (not fully wild):

Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre

2. THE BORNEAN PYGMY ELEPHANT

Pictured: A highlight of our 2 weeks in Borneo itinerary was spotting this wild herd of Pygmy elephants down by the Kinabatangan River Bank! Photograph taken by Jordie. — Pictured: One of the most amazing sightings we were lucky enough to see during our **Kinabatangan River cruise** was this herd of **Bornean Pygmy Elephants** by the river banks! Can you spot the little baby elephant at the front? Photograph taken by Jordie.

The Bornean Pygmy Elephant is the World’s smallest subspecies of Asian elephant. Measuring at an average of just 2 metres high, funnily enough they are still Borneo’s largest mammal!

When we saw the Bornean Pygmy Elephant herd drinking from the river bank on our Kinabatangan River cruise, we loved how big their ears looked on their heads due to their much smaller portions. They were adorable, and reminded us of Dumbo!

On average, they can live up to 60-70 years old and normally live in a small family unit, led by one matriarch. They also occasionally go around in “bond groups”, made up by 1-2 families joining together to make a larger herd. They can eat over 130 plants daily, including grasses, figs, bananas and bark.

The Pygmy Elephants typically head into the deep forest to rest, whilst at river banks (such as along the Kinabatangan River) they tend to socialise, play, bathe, cross the river and have a drink.

Habitat loss, human and elephant conflicts, poachers and loss of gene variety (being unable to cross to different forests due to palm oil plantations) is why the Bornean Pygmy Elephant is categorised as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN red list, with as little as 1000-1500 left in the wild.

The best places to see wild Bornean Pygmy Elephants in Borneo are:

Kinabatangan River, Sabah (river boat cruises)
Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah (jungle trekking)
Tabin Wildlife Reserve (jungle trekking / 4WD night drives)
Deramakot Forest Reserve (4WD day and night drives only)

3. THE PROBOSCIS MONKEY

Pictured: A Proboscis monkey, one of the most obscure looking creatures on the Borneo Big 5 list. We saw so many of them at Kinabatangan River, during our 2 weeks in Borneo. Photograph taken by Jordie. — Pictured: A Proboscis monkey, one of the most obscure looking creatures on the Borneo Big 5 list. We saw so many of them at Kinabatangan River, during our **2 weeks in Borneo**. Photograph taken by Jordie.

One of Borneo’s most treasured creatures is none other than the Proboscis Monkey. While there are approximately just 7,000 wild Proboscis Monkeys that are only found in Borneo, they are not considered an Endangered species as they have thriving communities here.

This Bornean primate species is mostly recognisable by one obscure feature – their large dangly fleshy noses!

During our river cruise on the Kinabatangan River, we discovered Proboscis females actually had cute petite noses, and it is the males donning the large noses! Our guide explained that in their world the larger the nose, the more attractive they are. Whatever floats their boat I guess!

Surprisingly, they are one of the best swimmers in the primate world, renowned for their comical “belly flops” into the water!

The best places to see wild Proboscis Monkeys in Borneo are:

Kinabatangan River, Sabah (river boat cruises)

Where you can see Proboscis Monkeys in rehabilitation (not fully wild):

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, Sandakan

4. THE RHINOCEROS HORNBILL

Photograph of a Rhinoceros Hornbill, one of the Borneo Big 5! Photograph kindly provided for use by Borneo Rainforest Lodge. — **© All photograph copyrights reserved by and kindly gifted for use by Borneo Rainforest Lodge.** Pictured: A Rhinoceros Hornbill in the rainforest canopies, the only bird species in the Borneo Big 5!

The Rhinoceros Hornbill is not only extremely beautiful – and as we found out during our jungle trekking, very noisy! – it is also the World’s largest species of forest Hornbill, measuring an average of approximately 3 feet long.

Found only amongst the tallest trees of Southeast Asia’s ancient primary rainforests, the Rhinoceros Hornbill can live for up to 35 years. They are omnivores, primarily eating fruits but also dabble in insects, small reptiles, eggs and even small animals such as rodents and smaller birds!

A unique behaviour of the Rhinoceros Hornbill has to be their nesting habits. The female will lay her eggs in a hollow section of tree and will – with the help of the male – quite literally barricade herself in with a man-made mask of fruit, poo and thick mud. She will leave just a slit open, just big enough for the male to pass her and her chicks food for up to 4 to 5 months!

The best places to see wild Rhinoceros Hornbills in Borneo are:

Kinabatangan River, Sabah (river boat cruises)
Danum Valley Conservation Area (jungle trekking)

5. THE ESTUARINE CROCODILE

You can also spot wild estuarine crocodiles during a Kinabatangan river cruise in the muddy banks, another highlight of our 2 weeks in Borneo adventure! The estuarine crocodile is part of the official Borneo Big 5 list! — Pictured: A medium sized Estuarine Crocodile that we spotted resting along the shallow muddy banks during our Kinabatangan River cruise. This was one of the most common of the Borneo Big 5 we saw, there are so many along the Kinabatangan River! Photograph taken by Jordie.

The last (but by no means least!) of the Borneo Big 5 is the mighty Estuarine Crocodile, or Saltwater Crocodile, named for making Borneo’s river estuaries their main habitat, including the Kinabatangan River.

In fact, we can vouch that along the Kinabatangan River banks, you can spot these prehistoric reptilians in great numbers and in all sizes – from little hatchlings to huge adults!

These ferocious predators can grow up to 9 metres in length and have a strictly carnivorous diet, eating anything from fish, birds, to larger land mammals, such as deer and wild boar.

You certainly wouldn’t want to be dipping your toe in the brown muddy waters of Kinabatangan River, but you needn’t worry. In the day, the majority of Estuarine Crocodiles lead a docile lifestyle, taking time to rest along the river banks and save their main activity of hunting until the dark of night.

The best places to see wild Estuarine Crocodiles in Borneo are:

Kinabatangan River, Sabah (river boat cruises)

THE ROUND UP: WHERE CAN I SEE ALL OF THE BORNEO BIG 5?

THE KINABATANGAN RIVER

To conclude, there are three key areas in Sabah, Borneo where it is possible to see just some of the Borneo Big 5, including the Danum Valley Conservation Area, Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Deramakot Forest Reserve.

However – the ONE place in Borneo where it is technically possible to see all of the Borneo Big 5 is along the Kinabatangan River area, located north of Sabah, Borneo!

PROBOSCIS MONKEYS & ESTUARINE CROCODILES AT KINABATANGAN
From our own personal experience spending 3 days taking multiple Kinabatangan River cruises throughout our stay at Sukau Rainforest Lodge, it is almost guaranteed you will see Proboscis Monkeys and Estuarine Crocodiles here.

ORANGUTANS AT KINABATANGAN
It is also extremely likely you will see wild Orangutans on at least one of your Kinabatangan river cruises, especially if you are staying over a few days. This is because there is a high density of approximately 1,100 Orangutans living in the Lower Kinabatangan River.

To maximise your chances even further, visit between May and October during Borneo’s dry season, when the weather is better and there is plenty of fruit to entice Orangutans down onto the lower canopies.

PYGMY ELEPHANTS AT KINABATANGAN
While it is all dependant on luck and happenstance, if you happen to be visiting when a local Pygmy Elephant herd has relocated to the river banks, there is a great possibility to spot them either taking a drink by the river or – if you’re incredibly lucky – see them swim to the other side!

With over 200 individual Pygmy Elephants known around the area, Kinabatangan is your best chance of seeing them. Our guide told us that the Pygmy Elephant herds that live around Kinabatangan usually visit the riverbanks once every 2 to 3 weeks, so hopefully your trip aligns with their movements!

RHINOCEROS HORNBILL AT KINABATANGAN
The ancient towering trees of primary rainforest lining the Kinabatangan River banks lends itself to be the ideal habitat for Malaysia’s symbolic bird, the Rhinoceros Hornbill.

Keep your ears and eyes peeled for these large black bird species during your river cruises and around your accommodation!

A photo of Jordie, the author of this specific blog post and owner of the wesbite.

This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!

Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com

A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.

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