My first sighting of Bornean pygmy elephants! (Sullivan Peraino)
My first sighting of Bornean pygmy elephants!
As an avid nature program follower (hence my Attenborough enthusiasm), I thought I had a pretty good handle on the fauna of Borneo. Orangutans, right? To my delight, I found there is so, so much more to see in the jungles of Borneo. Three days on the Kinabatangan River brought me up close with pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, long- and pig-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, oriental pied hornbills and a whole mess of other birds that I won't even begin to name.
A male pygmy elephant grazes with the herd (Sullivan Peraino)
A male pygmy elephant grazes with the herd
My favorite of all the animals happens to occupy the petite end of the size chart, the Bornean pygmy elephant. With males reaching a maximum height of seven feet, the tallest pygmy elephant stands only a few inches higher than the average human and is the smallest elephant in the world! I got to observe these beautiful, yet small, beasts every day of my trip, which I was frequently reminded is very, very rare. From our launch, we first discovered a mother, baby and juvenile elephant munching grass by the riverbank. The baby was maybe two feet tall, about hip-height! This first sighting was enough to raise goosebumps, and my fellow travelers were equally ecstatic.
We just saw elephants in the wild! (Sullivan Peraino)
We just saw elephants in the wild!
Bornean pygmy elephants looking cute but the river (Sullivan Peraino)
Bornean pygmy elephants looking cute by the river
The Bornean pygmy elephant has a very laid-back attitude, generally more passive and less aggressive than its bigger Asian elephant counterpart. This chilled-out behavior led many to believe that they were descendants of domesticated elephants that were given to the Bornean Sultan of Sulu as a gift in the 1600's. It wasn't until 2003 that genetic analysis revealed they are in fact a distinct species in the elephant world - making conservation and habitat preservation all the more important.
Biologists estimate there are only 110 - 120 pygmy elephants in existence, comprising three herds concentrated in the Kinabatangan floodplain. The pygmy elephant's small frame, gentle nature, rounder belly, bigger ears and straight tusks make them truly, to quote the World Wildlife Foundation, the "cutest of all the pachyderms." Another of Borneo's endangered species, the pygmy elephant is threatened by the loss of lowland forest, habitat fragmentation, and human-elephant conflict. Meeting these animals in their home territory was a spectacular experience and I hope that ecotourism helps to increase awareness and support for their management and protection.
Our guide was just as excited as we were to see another herd of elephants (Sullivan Peraino)
Our guide was just as excited as we were to see another herd of elephants
Check out the other inhabitants I found along the Kinabatangan River!
Pig-tailed macaques fight for the top of the tree (Sullivan Peraino)
Pig-tailed macaques fight for the top of the tree
A blue-eared kingfisher on our night cruise (Sullivan Peraino)
A blue-eared kingfisher on our night cruise
Finally close enough to a rhinoceros hornbill to get a picture! (Sullivan Peraino)
Finally close enough to a rhinoceros hornbill to get a picture!
Franny was knowledgeable with just the right touch. Highly recommend.
Bob
2 hours ago
Adventure Life planned a stunner of a trip for our family ONCE AGAIN! This is our 7th trip with Adventure Life. We chose the Chile North to South adventure with add-ons of Magdalena Island to see the penguins; Las Torres hotel in Patagonia; Calafate, Argentina to see the Perito Moreno glacier and finally, Buenos Aires. We were active every day! Biking in vineyards, trekking at 14,000 ft above sea level and seeing vicuña and vizcacha everywhere after having almost the entire El Tatio geyser park to ourselves, an evening tour viewing the stars and galaxies in the Atacama Desert, River Rafting and hiking between volcanoes and glacial lakes in the mountain lake region of Peurto Varas, hiking the French Valley, Las Torres and riding horses in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, walking on the glacier and drinking glacial water and hearing those thunderous booms of ice calving at Perito Moreno in Calafate, Argentina and biking 30 miles through Buenos Aires to the suburbs where we kayaked the Tigre River Delta. So much fun!! I even wore my adult children out!!
Heather Spanbauer
1 day ago
Our trip planners were very responsive and helpful, listening to us, then coming up with a wonderful plan that met our individual needs and desires. We have used Adventure Life in the past and had a great experience, so we are really looking forward to this upcoming trip.
The Carlson's
1 day ago
Adventure Life does a great job planning trips that will form lifelong memories! They have great ideas on local places to stay and how to hire the best guides to make your trips amazing and unique.
customer
1 day ago
Great Experience! My trip planner, Jane, was available and knowledgeable. She made suggestions that suited the kind of adventure travel I like, still keeping within my physical limitations. She was very forthcoming with all of the details I requested. And she was always pleasant to speak with.
