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Dangerous Animals of Sabah

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30% of Sabah is in wilderness, and there are something that we should watch out for, or they will remind us that they deserve our respect. My eyes roll whenever I hear tourists say something ignorant like, “Oh dear, the orangutan / elephant / monkey is so cute!!!” Wildlife is not our house pet. They don’t like human so don’t expect they welcome us (though they may look or act friendly).

1. Elephants

Bornean Pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) is the biggest mammal in Sabah, and there are less than 1,500 of them left. With 2.5 Metres in height and body weight in tons, you know you can’t afford to trust this giant babe.


Above: the habitat of our elephants is destroyed by logging and oil palm plantation. Read more here…

Due to oil palm plantation, logging and land clearing for farmland, the loss of lowland forest has brought the elephants into more contact and conflict with people. Bornean Pygmy Elephant is timid but a very protective parent. The overexcited tourists, who come too close to the herd that has calf around, would find themselves in danger.


Pic: Memorial stone for Jenna O’Grady Donley

In 2011, a Australian tourist, Jenna O’Grady Donley, was stabbed to death by a bull elephant in Tabin Wildlife Reserve. She was an animal lover and sadly she was too close to a bull elephant which was said to be mentally unstable. Rest in peace Jenna. On 25 Dec 2022, a Borneo pygmy elephant gored its handler to death at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, when he was tending a wounded calf.


Above: the elephants are in stress even at this distance. They round up to protect the calf. Photo of Kinabatangan.

In the video below, you can see that an elephant was agitated when we were too close to them:

2. Crocodiles

Saltwater or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest crocodiles in the world and they are found in rivers and swampy areas of Sabah. Crocodile is the master of sneak attack, so it is a threat to the villagers who wash their cloth and fish in the rivers.


Above: this crocodile killed a few villagers. Photo of Tuaran Crocodile Farm

Basically there is no hope for survival when we are grabbed by the powerful jaws of this 4-Metres aggressive monster. Sometimes people see them having sun bathe in unlikely places such as Tuaran and Papar.


Above: warning sign at Kinabatangan River

On 1 Dec 2022, a crocodile attacked a father and a one-year-old son who were rowing a boat on the river of Lahad Datu. Unfortunately, the boy was killed. Between 2020 and 2022, there are a total of 12 crocodile attacks reported in Lahad Datu, out of which eight were fatal.

3. Snakes

One drop of venom from the banded sea krait or yellow-lipped sea krait (Laticauda colubrine) can kill three adult and there is no antidote. Sea snakes are trapped in the fishing net occasionally. When the unlucky fisherman is busy sorting out the fishes, he might be bitten by sea snake without knowing it, due to the anesthetic effect of the venom. The poison will dissolve the muscles of his body and his urine will turn into cola red color. At last, he dies in enormous suffering. Good news is – sea snakes are not aggressive unless threatened, though all sea snake species are highly venomous. Sometimes they approach scuba divers just out of curiosity but they mean no harm.

The most dangerous snakes in Borneo forest are pit vipers and king cobra. You would encounter a viper if you hike in jungle that is frequented by small animals such as rodents and frogs. King Cobra is known for aggressively guarding its nest. The locals believe that carrying a Kayu Tas wood can drive the snakes away.


Above: sea snake is more poisonous than cobra but it’s not aggressive. Photo from Banggi Island


Above: yellow-lipped sea kraits in fish tank of the Green Connection


Above: reticulated python can eat a human if it is big enough

4. Jellyfish

This passive little semi-transparent marine life lurks in the sea, but can kill the unfortunate swimmers by its deadly touch. The two dangerous species found in our water are the Box Jellyfish or Chironex fleckeri, whose toxin could kill victims in less than five minutes, and Ubur-ubur merah.


Above: jellyfish warning on Manukan Island

The application of vinegar, which contains acetic acid, can disable the jellyfish’s nematocysts that have not yet been discharged into the bloodstream. After the death of a few tourists, vinegar is always available for such first aid in islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. If you are stung, look for the lifeguard on the beach immediately, they know what to do.

5. Hornet and Bee

If one stung is painful, 100 stung will be a painful death, so terrible that nobody would want to commit suicide by intentionally provoking the hornets, especially Lesser Banded Hornet (Vespa affinis). If you are allergic to bee sting, a few jabs can cause anaphylactic shock that is potentially fatal. It is also advisable not to agitate a hornet near a nest, as the distress signal will trigger the entire hive to attack. If that happens, submerge into the water is probably the only way to save you. For your info, perfumes can be mistaken as the pheromone of hornets and set off the attack too. The same advices go to giant honey bee (Apis dorsata), which is far more aggressive than other honey bee species.

Hornet also likes to build nest under the roof and water tank of houses. The nest may be as small as a tennis ball in the beginning. But if you don’t eliminate it in early stage, it will grow to the size of sandbag and pose a serious threat to the residents. By that time, only Fire Department can help you to remove the huge nest safely.

If you are too close to a bee hive, the patrolling bees will come and buzzing around you to investigate if you are a threat. It’s very important that you stay still and don’t agitate them (with sudden move or swatting them). After the guard bees leave, move slowly away from their territory. In contrast to honeybee, a hornet can sting multiple times. If a child has anaphylactic reaction to bee sting, attack by one hornet is deadly enough.

6. Mosquito

Finally the last one but not the least is mosquito. If one mosquito gets into your room, you know you will have problem sleeping whole night long. Anyway, causing bad sleep is not how mosquito kills hundred of people every year. Mosquito is deadliest disease vector which spreads infectious diseases such as Malaria, Dengue and Yellow Fever. Parts of Sabah are the red zone for Malaria. Therefore, please make sure your house is free of stagnant water that serves as a breeding ground for them.


Pic: Among all mosquito species, Aedes aegypti (locally known as Nyamuk Aedes) is the most dangerous, as it can spread diseases such as dengue fever and yellow fever. It is easily recognized by white stripes on its legs and body.

7. Cattle / Cow

The domesticated cattle of Kota Belud town always roam in middle of the road. You will need to be extra careful when you drive in the countryside. Do not honk them, otherwise the group will disperse and running like mad cow in all directions on the road, causing danger to other motorists. Well, I will not pay a single cent of compensation for accidentally knocking down a cattle, because it is illegal to let them wander around in the first place. But do you know what’s more dangerous? The angry villagers who don’t reason with you.

8. Wild Boar

In contrast to their domesticated cousin (pig), wild boars are agile and the favourite target of hunting game because they are difficult to catch. Wild boars are elusive and prefer to flee from our sight in most cases, so it is hard to believe that they have the record of killing bears and tigers in battle. Wild boars rarely attack but they can pose a danger to people who act like a threat to their piglets. Jungle trekkers are best to move away quietly and leave them alone.


Above: adult wild boar has long tusk that can kill.

There is no tiger in Borneo, in case you wonder why it isn’t on the list. As you may see by now, dangerous animal is not necessary a man eater or a big animal. Even if it can look friendly and adorable, wildlife is wild, never treat it like a pet. Most of the time, those wildlife look timid and afraid of human, and tourists can get away most of the time. But you need only one incident to lose your life.

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Crocodile in Likas Sport Complex!

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The presence of a crocodile in the lake of Likas Sport Complex became headline in a local newspaper last week. In the past, sighting of crocodile was also reported in the rivers of Petagas, Papar, Tuaran. Every time it created fear among the public, but I would say we have better chance of being bitten by a stray dog than a crocodile. Instead, we should concern more about YB Buaya (corrupted politician) that eats our money and Buaya Darat (playboy) that eats lady’s heart, both cause real harm and we have many of them in Malaysia.


Update: This 2-year crocodile was captured on 10 Sep 2014 and was sent to Lok Kawi Zoo. Sabah Wildlife Department still leaves the warning sign and trap there, just in case there are other crocodile.


Pic: Likas Sport Complex

Likas Sport Complex is a famous jogging park crowded with juicy joggers during weekends, presumably making it a profitable spot for man-eater. It has a beautiful lake that connected to Likas River. The view is just amazing when the sunset is reflected on the water, a nice treat for people after workout (Now you also can do a selfie with the croc). Sometimes the park got visitors from nearby mangrove, you would see box turtle and monitor lizard crawling slowly next to the jogging trail, or hearing the hoarse call of kingfisher.


Actually I think I had seen the same crocodile last year. It was found by a few locals in a mangrove in Likas. Hearing the news, I grabbed my camera and came to its favorite bathing spot, but I saw nothing but a calm river. “Just remain still and wait,” a local lady said.


I did as told. A few minutes later, I saw the head of a crocodile emerged from the murky water a few metres away from me. It’s quite small, only a few feet, obviously a juvenile (like the photo below).


I wonder why there is a crocodile in densely-populated area. Many years ago, I studied in a primary school near this mangrove, and there was a big crocodile being shot behind our school. I hope this small crocodile won’t face the same fate.


Sabah Wildlife Department knew about this and they wanted to trap it but it left. Now we know where it is. It may have grown bigger in 10 months. Though I haven’t seen it, I guess it still hasn’t reached a size that brings real threat (if it’s the same croc)? Visitors should stop feeding fishes and turtles at the lakeside, as it’ll attract the attention of crocodile.


To show that it’s safe, I even put my foot into the water for minute. I worry more about the bacteria in filthy water.

Below is the video of this crocodile. It was dozing off, so cute.


Pic: you only need to be afraid when the croc grows this big. This is a man-eater that took the life of a villager in Sandakan.

When I read the news, I laughed when the reporter showed a photo of monitor lizard and called it a crocodile. Anyway, they got the photo right the next day.

Monitor Lizard is a big reptile and very commonly mistaken as a crocodile. I even wrote a blog making fun of this.

Seem like we don’t know our wildlife really well.

Photos taken in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Game Meats (Bushmeat) of Sabah

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Sabah is blessed with abundance of wildlife and many enjoy that with their mouths. Consumption of game meat (meat of wildlife) is common here, especially in rural area. In fact, hunting of wildlife (game species) is permitted in unprotected forest, if you get the hunting license from Sabah Wildlife Department (of course you also need license for owning a hunting rifle in first place). Below are some popular game species of Sabah:


The bearded pig is on top of the list. Muslims don’t take pork, so there are still quite a lot of them in the wild. However, the number is comparatively lesser than a few decades ago. In the past, hunters ambushed the wild boars at their migration path and they could see hundreds of wild boars at a time. Today you only can see such marvelous scene in National Geography channel. Due to shrinking and fragmented forest, wild boars venture to villages for food crop, making them more vulnerable to hunting.



Above: wild boar meat for sale at a roadside stall.



Above: wild boar meat for sale at tamu (native open market)

The trading of game meat is a million-dollars business, but not heavily commercialized. The meat is mainly for local consumption and not exported. I tried wild boar meat and it is not really taste better than domesticated pig. Most wild boars are hunted in oil palm plantation, so their meat has unpleasant smell because oil palm fruit is their main diet, some say.


The photos above is Sambar Deer, locally known as Payau, the largest deer species of Sabah.


When I was a little kid, I was used to see them when I was playing in the wood nearby my grandmother house in Kepayan (near Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1 today).


Above: “Payau” soup


Above: payau (deer) meat sautéed in soy sauce and zesty sliced ginger.
Deer meat is the most well-received game meat, and most Sabahans had tried it at least once. It tastes like a mixture of lamb and pork.


Above is barking deer, locally known as “Kijang”. It is about the size of a dog but its meat is more tender than Sambar Deer.


However, when I saw a poor Kijang being hunted in the wild like photo above, I don’t think I want to eat it again..



Monitor lizard is also part of our menu. It’s so easy to catch them and they are everywhere, in river, drain and even dumpster. People usually “fish” them with chicken intestine as bait. I was told that their meat is good for skin. Well, this reptile eats rotten meat and live in dirty swamp, I would not recommend you to eat such creature which is full of bacteria.


Above: photo of “bakakuk” (home made rifle)
As a matter of fact, even today, villagers living adjacent to a forest usually hunt, just like villagers next to river are usually fishermen. And they have been doing this for centuries and that has become part of their traditional lives. Many own a “home made” rifle. Under Malaysian law, owning an unlicensed rifle is a serious offense and you can be jailed not less than 7 years, or fined more than RM10,000, or both. However, most local authority keeps one eye closed. Occasionally we hear from the news that hunters shot at the moving shadow and killed their buddies by accident.

I once followed a trip in Sabah interior and have the chance to photograph how hunters cook the game. Even clever animals such as mouse deer can’t escape the bullet of hunters. Poor deer..




They removed the fur and cut the meat into pieces, then they cooked the meat in a pot with onion.


When having lunch in a restaurant in remote area, I found a Chinese restaurant that serves variety of wild meat. Besides the usual wild boar and deer dishes, they also cook squirrel and… hmmm.. bat, which I guess might be flying fox (fruit bat).


Above: squirrel waits for its turn to be eaten..


Personally I’m not really fond of eating wildlife, as there is no way I can tell if the meat on my plate is from licensed hunter or illegal poaching. Probably nobody remember that Banteng (a wild cattle called “Tembadau” locally) was once a very common animal in Malaysia. I read a old story of a Borneo hunter who says he can easily find the herd with 100 Banteng. Due to poaching, Banteng is extinct in Peninsular Malaysia since 1950s and Sarawak in 1980s. There are only a few hundreds left in Sabah so they are highly endangered. But there are still bastards who don’t care about this and say Banteng is delicious and is a must-try meat.

Some may say Sabah has thousands square Kilometers of forest and we still have many wildlife. But bigger mammals need about 10 square Kilometers to survive, so our forest is not big enough to host that many wildlife to fulfill the appetite of everyone. Do you know Tapir and Tiger once existed in Sabah thousands years ago? It is the earliest case of extinction caused by hunting.


Above: porcupine meat. The seller said they were trapped by snare in the plantation, not that they hunt them.


Above: snake meat for sale

Just look around us and you will see many overweight people, we are not short of protein supply, so there is no need to turn to wildlife for meat. I don’t want to encourage people to eat wildlife, so I’m sorry that I can’t disclose the locations where you can find those meals.


The only sustainable game meat I can think of is the crocodile meat from crocodile farm. Sandakan Crocodile Farm opens a restaurant that sells Crocodile “Bak Kut Teh” (herb soup). For those of you who are curious how this man-eater tastes like, you can try it at Shen Loong in 1Borneo Hypermall, LOL.



Above: Crocodile meat. Note the fried crocodile egg.


Above: did you see the crocodile claw in the photo?

The crocodile meat is a bit chewy but not bad. No, I don’t work for Shen Loong.. I brought home some crocodile eggs and my mom screamed, “ILL! Throw it away!!!” Haha..

Photos taken in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Sepilok Rainforest to Mangrove (part 2 of 4)

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Continued from part 1…
(You may Click Here to start reading from Part 1)

Sepilok Laut Reception Center (SLRC)
Here I was in Sepilok Laut Reception Center (SLRC), deep inside the pristine Sepilok mangrove forest, which makes up nearly 30% of Kabili-Sepilok forest reserve. SLRC is 5.5 KM away from the popular Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.



>> Click Here to see more photos of Sepilok Forest

SLRC is managed by the Sabah Forestry Department. The Center is for researchers to study the mangrove and rainforest, as well as schools and tourists who want to have recreational tour here to enjoy the natural mangrove environment. The Center is a wooden stilt house built on the mudflat of the mangrove, and it also serves as an enforcement station to prevent intruders from stealing the wood. There have been some illegal Filipino immigrants trying to steal the bark of mangrove tree for making liquor.

SLRC consists of two main building, i.e. reception building and staff quarter, connected by a boardwalk.

You can watch the 5-minute video below to tour around SLRC, without reading the rest of my lengthy text description:

Click Here to watch bigger video

1. Reception Building

SLRC has no electricity supply during daytime, but the staff turns on the power generator every day after 6pm (or whenever necessary) until morning.

The Reception Building has two dormitory rooms. Each room has two bunk beds and able to take 4 people.

The dormitory room is quite basic and only has a fan and wardrobe. Pillow and blanket are provided for each bed. The room is quite clean and new.

Outside the rooms is a shared bathroom. Water heater is not available but it’s ok, consider our climate is warm throughout the year.

There is a big living room area, where you can watch TV. Astro, the satellite TV channel, is available.


>> Click Here to see more photos of Sepilok Forest

You may sign the guest book at the reception counter or call your dad for money. They have a satellite phone (No: +60-89-676306).

As there is nothing much to do, you may check out some display items and information.


>> Click Here to see more photos of Sepilok Forest

You can see the nice view of mangrove forest outside the window.

It was raining so I sat inside to stay dry and warm, and enjoyed the river view.

There are crocodiles around here, some are big enough to become man eater, so don’t go swimming in the water. The staff says you would see them during high tide at night. Just few days ago, they witnessed the fight between a monitor lizard and crocodile. The crocodile won and grabbed the tail of the lizard that tried to escape. It sounds like a dinosaur fight in Ultraman TV. Too bad I miss the show.

2. Staff Quarter + Kitchen

There is no restaurant in SLRC, so you must bring your own food. You may cook your food and boil drinking water in the kitchen next to the Reception Building. Since I only stayed one night, I brought only canned food.

You may have your meal in the dining area. Cooking gas stove, wok, plates, spoon, cups, etc. are available in the kitchen.

But be careful of the naughty monkey. They would steal your food.

If you come with a group a friends, you can BBQ here too. More fun..

>> Click Here to see more photos of Sepilok Forest

If you think you desire better accommodation with air-conditioning, you may book the chalet which can host 8 guests.


Above: there is a lookout tower not far from the building on higher ground. They say some mobile phone line may get coverage there, but not Digi. In terms of line coverage in Sabah, Digi sucks real bad. This is what a frequent traveller like me can tell you. Maxis is the best so far.



You can get a nice view of large mangrove area from the lookout tower. SLRC is in intertidal zone, so you get different view in low and high tides. During low tide, the mudflat under the river will expose.


The mudflat of mangrove is a busy world. I stood on the boardwalk and saw many activities down there.


The fight between two colorful male fiddler crabs.


Mudskipper, a peculiar fish that can walk on land.


Monitor lizard is the second largest predator (next to crocodile) in mangrove.


The main mangrove species here are bangkita (Rhizophora apiculata), tengar (Ceriops tagal), nyireh(Xylocarpus granatum), and geriting (Lumnitzera littorea). These trees are adapted to harsh saline and anaerobic water-logged soil in this area.

>> Click Here to see more photos of Sepilok Forest


In late afternoon, I noticed movement in the wood nearby the Center. It was a big long-tailed macaque. According to the forestry staff, it’s the King here…

Read Next Article (part 3)…

Update (Nov 2012)!

Now Sepilok Laut Reception Centre (SLRC) has a new boardwalk in mangrove. You may want to read the new upgrade and latest change of SLRC facilities here.

Photos taken in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Shan-Shui Golf Course

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The golf reminds me of a joke. A man golfer teased at a woman golfer. He said, “Hahaha… You women all got BOOBS. I wonder how you could swing your club properly!” The woman golfer replied, “We also could not figure out how you men golfers play golf coz you all got FAT BELLY blocking the swing!”

That’s my first impression about golfers. Golf sounds like the toy of high-class and rich people, the group who are always associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. After they hit the ball, instead of walking to the ball, they ride a buggy to get there, so lazy… Why people call this a “sport” ah?

Not only me, this is what others think of golfers. Because of a few company projects, I’ve been to a few golf clubs of Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei last year. I didn’t see many golfers were seriously overweight, though many are a bit fat, like other normal middle-aged guys.

The photos here are taken in Shan-Shui (means mountain and water) Golf Club in Tawau. I like this golf course coz of its nature surrounding. You would see monkeys and eagle while playing golf there. But be careful when you come near to this lake (see photo below).

Some golf courses are known for keeping crocodile as “pet”. For what purpose I am not so sure, probably to give more excitement and challenge for the golfers. If your ball lands next to the crocodile like the photo, what would you do to continue the game?
a) Feed the crocodile with one of your legs to exchange for the ball,
b) Run over the crocodile with buggy to kill it,
c) Bribe the crocodile with some $ to let you continue,
d) Appoint the crocodile as your director and offer it some $hare of your prize.
Usually options C and D are popular choices of Malaysians. You know what I am saying..

During my visit, this crocodile was protecting its nest nearby. May be it thought that golf ball was its egg too.. headache..

FYI, Shan-Shui also has the best Par 5 in Asia. But no worry, this par is to test your skill and decision-making. There is no crocodile there to test the courage of the golfers (though I think it is a good idea to test the balls of the golfers), lol…

Photos taken in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo

Kung Fu Mantis

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I took this video at Tuaran Crocodile Farm. It is so funny that it deserves another blog entry. There is one famous old Chinese idiom “stopping a car with mantis arm”, which describes a person who overestimates his power and ability. Now I believe mantis is really a creature like that. Mantis Fist is also one of the popular Chinese Kung Fu (So in theory, you can defeat a Mantis Fist fighter with a car).

This praying mantis came from nowhere when I busy taking pictures of a python. I tried to take its photo and it attacked my camera several times (probably it saw its reflection on the len). Then it attacked the python and the small crocodile. The poor reptiles could not counter attack coz their mouths were sealed.

The crocodile was really freaked out coz the mantis attacked its weakest spot, the eyes. Everytime the crocodile blinked its eyes, the mantis would attack its eyes (I heard that the mosquito bite to crocodile’s eyelid can make them very sick). After getting several painful mantis fist, the crocodile decided to do something to end this.

Before you view the video clip for answer, probably you can guess the result of the fight between 10KG Crocodile and 10g Mantis:
A) The crocodile flee.
B) The mantis killed the crocodile.
C) The crocodile broke the seal and ate the mantis.
D) Smoke Head ate the crocodile and mantis.
E) None of the above

Tuaran Crocodile Farm

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I believe Discovery Channel can be a better channel if they talk less about crocodiles. Anyway, I still think crocodile is one of the most fascinating animals on earth. The structure of its body makes it the most effective (and beautiful) hunting machine. The crocodile skin product is also one of the most expensive on earth (see below).


Click Here to see 70+ photos of Tuaran Crocodile Farm >>

Since childhood, I was told a lot of stories about crocodile. My mom was also very scared when she washed cloth at the riverside in the old day, coz crocodile is very good in sneak attack. I even heard people hired bomoh to recite certain chant to make the crocodile showed up and didn’t resist being seized. The most famous tale is the 200-year old and bullet-proof white crocodile in Sarawak. Well, nobody actually sees it I guess. I think most of you had seen the crocodile displayed inside the Sabah Museum. If I am not mistaken, this crocodile was first discovered in the mangrove forest behind my primary school many years ago. My classmates saw it and told the teacher, who later called the hunter to shoot the crocodile. The body was donated to the museum.


Click Here to see 70+ photos of Tuaran Crocodile Farm >>

However, those folklores only make crocodiles sound more mysterous and scary. But this made my trip to Tuaran Crocodile Farm more anticipating. Contrary to our impression, the crocodiles there look pretty cute and can even do show. You can see and even touch them. FYI, most of the crocodiles in this farm are Crocodylus Porosus (Buaya Tembaga), a salt water crocodile which can live in both fresh and salt water. Too bad I didn’t manage to try the crocodile meat there. The restaurant there was run by Muslim, so they don’t serve it.


Click Here to see 70+ photos of Tuaran Crocodile Farm >>

Besides crocodiles, they got a mini-zoo that has small wild animals such as leopard cat, badger, eagle, pheasant, peacock and deers. Cultural dance (e.g. bamboo dance) is performed 2 or 3 times per day in the long house.

Dance With Crocodile:
You also can see the crocodiles perform. You must look at the video clip that I created. I added a few effects to make it looks funny. Watch lah…
Click Here to see crocodile dance >>