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SARAWAK A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Like the durian or kasom ikien (preserved fish), wildlife photography is an acquired taste. But once you have found a liking for it, there is no turning back.

Wildlife photography enthusiasts can spend anything from a few hours to a few months out in the wild just to capture those perfect shots of different animal species, some so rare that a day’s attempt to photograph them simply won’t cut it. They’d have to search for days, sometimes months, for some of the rarer species.

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Sarawak, with its amazing biodiversity, is haven for wildlife photography. From one of the world’s smallest frogs to the most beautiful spider ever discovered, the prospect of going home with amazing shots from the wilds of Sarawak is just too good to ignore. That being said, here are some remarkable wildlife species (besides the more famous Orang Utan, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Proboscis Monkey, Bearded Pig and Estuarine Crocodile) you might chance upon the next time you come on a trip to Sarawak to hunt for some wild shots.

Blue Tarantula

Discovered in 2017 by naturalist and photographer in Sarawak, Chien Lee, his wife Pearl Ee (a Sarawak biology student) and German photographer Lars Fehlandt, this incredible arachnid is regarded as the most beautiful spider in the world and was featured in The Journal of the British Tarantula Society. Native to Sarawak, the Blue Tarantula is classified as a new species and was given the scientific name Birupes simoroxigorum. The female tarantula caught on camera by Chien Lee had electric-blue legs and a light brown body and could fit in the palm of your hand. Mentioning it here doesn’t necessarily suggest that you could easily bump into this elusive eight-legged beauty. But if by luck you do come across one, please take only photos of it and then leave it be.

Horsfield’s Tarsier

Cute as a button with its buggy eyes and softlooking pelt, the Horsfield’s Tarsier is the only tarsier species found in Borneo. This nocturnal animal is an entirely carnivorous primate. So if you’re an insect or a small lizard, you best not fall for its cuteness. Unlike other nocturnal species, tarsiers have no reflective layer in the back of their eyes (Tapetum lucidum), making them extremely difficult to spot. So being able to capture this amazing animal on camera is a truly a rewarding experience.

Wallace’s Flying Frog

This remarkable amphibian discovered by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace at Kubah Ria National Park in the 1900s is the largest of Borneo’s tree frog and flying frog species. Spending almost its entire adult life in the tree canopy, the Wallace’s Flying Frog only comes down to breed, not in streams or rivers but in stagnant pools on the forest floor. Interestingly, the Wallace’s Flying Frog has webbed feet, which it uses to glide from tree to tree. Even more extraordinary is the frog’s ability to use its webbed feet to change direction in mid-air while gliding. Capturing the frog in “flight” would be utterly cool!

Pangolin

This endangered mammal is a unique and protected species in Sarawak. Nicknamed “scaly anteater”, it is easily distinguishable by its hard scales made of keratin, running along the length of its body from head to tail. A pangolin naturally walks on all fours, but sometimes adorably walks on its hind legs. The pangolins of Sarawak are heading dangerously towards extinction but fortunately efforts are being taken to protect the species. So if you ever run into one, take as many shots with your camera and let it go about its business.

Sunda Clouded Leopard

This incredibly beautiful medium sized wild cat is native to Borneo and Sumatra. Different from the clouded leopard of mainland Southeast Asia, the Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi) has darker fur with smaller patterns. This fancy feline is one of the rarest and most beautiful animals to roam the deep forests of Sarawak. A few of them were seen in Mt Santubong in 2014, prompting the Malaysian Nature Society to call for an immediate evaluation study of the area. It would be amazing to be able to photograph this rare species in the wild indeed.

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