When my husband Hans asked me to come along with him to Danum I hesitated since I remember it as a place were you get invaded by leeches. Finally I give in and got myself prepared by taking two sets of leeches sock, jungle boots and long trousers
Danum Valley is 2 hours drive on a logging track from Lahad Datu. It’s beautiful primary Diptrocarp forest and famous for it’s wildlife. David Attenborough made one of his series for the BBC and in used by scientist to study since there is also a science center.
On one of our walks Herman spotted a flowering Fig tree with lots of fruits across the river an excellent spot to see animals. Next day early morning at 5.30 we went to the river that was also an open sot and set up the camera, Mike and Herman brought coffee and breakfast and we sat down and wait to see what will happen and suddenly we saw a couple Rhinoceros Hornbill and their chick eating the fruits. It was really cute to see the mother feeding the huge baby. When they left another couple, this time wreathed Hornbill feeding on this fruits and after they left also a couple but now Helmeted Hornbill. We were so exited; this was the first time for me to see three different species.
While we were waiting there we heard a trembling sound and suddenly a mouse deer ran in front of our feet ,jumped over the tripod and Hans saw that he was chased by a yellow throated Marter.This mouse deer was really lucky because we saved his life by sitting there. We couldn’t stop laughing. about this funny encounter with a mouse deer.
Every morning we went back to the same spot and saw 2 other species of Hornbills, Black Hornbill and Bushy crested (flock),they are scared for the Rhinoceros Hornbill and wait until they left and rushed to get fruits and flew to another tree were they eat it.
Other wildlife we saw were Gibbons, Flying Lizard, giant squirrel, Orang Utan making her nest near the restaurant and lost of birds. I was hoping to see Elephants but they are not so easy to see and very shy.
There is also a tree top 40 meters high and excellent to see above the treetops. The guys were very surprised that I climbed without fear but I have no problems with height its fun to look around while you climb and it took me only 10 minutes.
You are wondering what happen with my experience with leeches and there were hardly any leeches, Hans had one or two but I had none. I was really surprised because I remember from a previous trip to Danum that we were invaded by them, maybe it’s seasonal.
We had a night drive the night before we left and saw Barking Deer, flying scuirrel, Malay civet cat and the droppings from a group Elephants but no Elephants. The guys stopped at a Durian tree that had fruits and in the middle of the night we were eating wld durian.
Next morning when we left the Field center I was still hoping to see Elephants ad had our camera ready and suddenly I saw them taking a side track and we jumped out of the car and took pictures. This was from a mother and baby. Hans tried to go closer when they tried to hide in the bushes and looking at him and she was not happy and he decided to go back since they can be very violent when they have a baby. Not fun if you have a change to be flatten by her. He saw the male running towards her also making a trumpeting sound with another but bigger baby and had also the change to photograph him.
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