Originating in
south west of Sabah State, the Kinabatangan River flows for 560
kilometres (347 miles) through eastern Sabah to the Sulu Sea on
the east coast. The lower basin of the Kinabatangan River is the
largest forest-covered floodplain in Malaysia, covering an area
of almost 4,000 square kilometres.
The river and its surrounding rainforest wetlands make up one of
the richest ecosystems on the planet. The floodplain itself is a
rainforest wetland, and it is the largest remaining forested
floodplain in Sabah. The lower reaches of the Kinabatangan
contain some of the few remaining freshwater swamp rainforests
and lakes in all of Southeast Asia and these evergreen swamp
rainforests are crucial for conservation.
A
forest of many forests
The region is home to saltwater mangrove forest, a
riverine forest, and a dipterocarp forest - a type of dryland
forest where the diversity of plant and animal life is most
intense. It is these dipterocarp forests, which once covered
most of Borneo, that have now been largely replaced by oil palm
estates.
Periods
of wet and dry
Cyclically hit by tropical monsoon rains each year, the
floodplain alternates between life as dry land and flooded
forest. Scientists prize this region of the Kinabatangan as a
natural heritage site of international importance.
Haven
for primates
The region is gaining increasing international fame for
its biological diversity. The Kinabatangan is one of only two
known places on earth where 10 primate species can be found.
These include the orang utan, and several species that are
endemic to Borneo, such as the proboscis monkey, the maroon
langur and Bornean gibbon.
Much
of the Kinabatangan remains a mystery
Sharks and rays, usually thought of as sea creatures,
live in freshwater in the Kinabatangan but little is known about
them. The plant and animal life along the river has yet to be
fully studied.
Diversity
of life
The area is home to rare
and endangered animals such as the wild Asian elephant,
estuarine crocodile and possibly the Sumatran rhino, which is on
the verge of extinction and was last recorded here in 1993.
The often hunted
estuarine crocodile - the largest crocodile species in the world
- has become extremely rare, but can still be seen along the
riverbanks. As far as monkeys go, the Kinabatangan is one of
only two sites in the world inhabited by 10 separate primates
species.
Nearly 200
species of birds can be found in the lower Kinabatangan. Eight
species of hornbills, the rare Oriental darter, Bornean
bristlehead and the threatened Storm's stork are just some of
the birds common to the area.
Notable
species list
-
Pygmy
Elephant (Elephas maximas)
-
Orang Utan (Pongo
pygmaeus)
-
Proboscis
Monkey (Nasalis larvatus)
-
Bornean
Gibbon (Hylobates muelleri)
-
Western
Tarsier (Tarsius bancanus)
-
Slow Loris (Nycticebus
coucang)
-
Rhinoceros
Hornbill
