Bako National Park- Proboscis Monkeys, Watermelon Monkeys, Vipers, and Flying Lemurs

Bako National Park

Bako is one of the best places to see wildlife while staying near a beautiful beach.  The park has mangrove forests, heath forests, tropical swamps, cliffs, and of course beach.  The only way onto this island is taking a boat ride for about ½ hour from a local village and you are in complete isolation from any roads.  We thought it would be smart to stay the night in order to maximize our chance to see wildlife as the rooms were basic and we were staying pretty much right in the jungle….

 We saw a few hermit crabs a few birds and some mud skippers to start off small…

 As we moved around on nature walks through the camps and in back, we noticed the wildlife was everywhere, including a bearded pig that I had never seen before…

 I was able to get very close to a green viper and take some amazing pictures.  There were two different ones that I saw as I rotated between the two.  I was careful obviously not to get to close to upset it.  There was also a common snake just making his way along the path….

 One of the main attractions of this park is the possible sighting of a Proboscis Monkey.  We not only got a sighting of them we were able to get some very good pictures as we followed them around for several hours watching the every move.  We also got to witness them leap from tree to tree….

 I followed a Monitor Lizard around in order to get some photos of him with his tongue as he let me get close, but not to close as he ran off from me..

 One species of monkey that I had never seen before was the Silver Leaf Monkey.  These monkeys travel around in rather large troops and feed on some of the mangrove trees just like the Proboscis!  There were some that were moving between the beach and the camp as they came very close to the ground.  My main focus of attention, was the “Orange Baby.”  The babies of this species are born orange and turn silver over time.  Trying to get a good photo of this little guy was a challenge that was very difficult….

 Another Species I had never seen before which I really lucked out, was the “Flying Lemur” or “Flying Galago.”  This nocturnal animal is very difficult and rare to spot.  To my surprise, there was one perched about 50 feet up on a tree sleeping.   After getting a few shots off with my camera, I noticed that she had a baby with her.  While the lighting was bad, I got a few goods shots and while they may be fuzzy, I was happy to see this animal during the day, although it disappears and flies from tree to tree at night…

 One of the enjoyments at the park was of course the Long Tail Macaques.  These monkeys are often seen up in the trees around the camp trying to cause trouble where they can.  Some had battle scars, while some had babies, while some decided to just fight with each other and steal food from people

 As one got a piece of watermelon, and the background was perfect and lighting was great, I could not help snap off a few shots of just how perfectly and greedily he ate this watermelon….