This September, 18 students and 3 members of staff travelled to Malaysia for a Biology field trip. We first had a one-day stopover in KL before setting off for the Bornean rainforest. In KL we visited the Sri Mahamariamman temple, the Petronas Towers and Petaling Street market.
The next morning we flew to Sabah in Malaysian Borneo where we spent 3 days at a jungle camp by the Kinabatangan river. During this time we conducted various wildlife surveys by day and by night. Highlights of these surveys included seeing wild orangutans, several large saltwater crocodiles, 5 species of monkey and dozens of different bird species.
At the jungle camp students had the chance to get hands-on with conservation. Each student planted a fig tree as part of a local community effort to help restore an area of degraded secondary forest.
On the final day we transferred to Sepilok where we visited the Bornean sun bear conservation centre and the orangutan rehabilitation centre where we had the chance to observe more conservation in action. These centres care for rescued animals with the aim of returning them to the wild.
On our last night we conducted a night trek at the Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre where we encountered 2 species of snake, 3 forest turtles and a slow loris. Students all came away with a deep appreciation for Borneo’s rich biodiversity and a strong desire to conserve the island’s remaining rainforests.
