Wildlife of Malaysia

Malasysian wildlife holidays - Great selection of trips around the world’s oldest rainforests

Malaysian Nature Society

The Malaysian Nature Society has been contributing towards the protection of Malaysia’s natural heritage since 1940.

Malaysia National Parks - Good introduction

It would be difficult to overstate the attraction of Malaysia for anyone who appreciates the natural world. Its primal forests, ranging from shoreline mangrove to mountaintop oak, are of the sort that most of the world now knows only in myth. Although Malaysia’s size is similar to that of Norway, natural trees and forests cover almost three quarters of the land, an area equivalent to almost the entire United Kingdom.

More links

Nature tours

Bako National Park Enjoy Sarawak’s oldest National Park, Bako National Park and a couple of days in and around Kuching before heading east and inland to the rainforests around Batang Ai Reservoir where the Iban Headhunter tribe live in their traditional longhouse homes. Visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary and journey into the heart of Sabah’s rainforest. More here

Sabah wildlife Malaysia’s Sabah state covers the northern part of Borneo and contains some of the Island’s most spectacular landscapes and accessible flora and fauna. From tranquil coastal villages to the dramatic Mt Kinabalu and the orang-utans of Sepilok to the awesome Danum Valley.  More here

Best of Borneo. The tour takes you to the main highlights of Sabah, incorporating the majesty of Mount Kinabalu; a thrilling canopy walk, high above the jungle; the endangered turtles; unique proboscis monkeys along the Sukau River; and of course, the loveable orang-utans at Sepilok! More here

Malaysia Nature

Malaysia is located in the center of Southeast Asia, home to a vast range of tropical rainforest that teem with the wonders of nature. The amazing wildlife species found only in this region have long been the fascination of researchers and explorers around the world. Divided into Peninsular Malaysia in the west and Borneo in the east, Malaysia’s natural heritage has been the subject of countless documentaries and continues to yield astounding discoveries of new flora and fauna species till this day. The great diversity of life that you can only find here is well worth a journey from anywhere across the globe, so come uncover the marvellous ecosystem of Malaysia while development has yet to overtake it completely.

Books about Malaysia

Wild Malaysia

Wild Malaysia is a major new pictorial study of the natural history of southeast Asia’s southernmost peninsula and offshore islands, which are home to an enormous wealth of species. Produced in association with the World Wide Fund for Nature, it is illustrated with 400 superb full-color plates taken especially for this book, of plants, insects and other invertebrates, fish, reptiles, frogs, birds, and mammals, each in its natural habitat.

-

Wild Malaysia offers a general yet accurate introduction to this spectacularly scenic region and its national parks. Malaysia’s tropical islands, topped by rainforest and ringed by coral reefs and transparent blue seas, are as beautiful and untouched as anywhere in the world. Its vast and exotic wildlife encompasses elephants and the world’s smallest rhinoceros, a profusion of monkeys and apes (including proboscis and leaf monkeys, gibbons, and orangutans), the slow loris and the tarsier, the clouded leopard and the sunbear, bats and reptiles, a spectacular variety of bird and marine life, and over 10,000 species of plants.

-

An extensive introduction examines the topography, history, climate, and peoples of Malaysia and includes important discussions of the relationship between man and forest, between conservation and development. Sections on animal and plant life provide an overview of the multiplicity of species to be found. And in “A Walk through the Rainforest,” Junaidi Payne explains the complex interdependence of the forest ecosystem, details Malaysia’s conservation programs, and the plans to create new reserves and protected areas not only in the forest but on the islands and surrounding seas as well.

-

Individual chapters describe peninsular Malaysia’s islands, coastal areas, and hill forest (many of which have been designated as national parks), Sarawak’s great rivers and cave systems, and Sabah’s offshore islands with their coral reefs, marine life, and exotic flora. There is also a complete list of conservation areas.

Wild Malaysia: The Wildlife and Scenery of Peninsular Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the world’s greatest ecotourism destinations, renowned for both the beauty of its many varied landscapes and for the great diversity of its wildlife. From the dramatic highlands of Mt Kinabalu and the extraordinary caves of Gunung Mulu to the pristine rainforests of Taman Negara and the golden beaches of Langkawi, this is a country of breathtaking scenery and ecological interest.In this revised and updated new edition, author Junaidi Payne looks at the many landscapes and ecosystems found in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah, and examines the vast range of wildlife species each habitat supports, including iconic species such as the Asian Elephant, Tiger and Orang-utan. A section on wildlife conservation looks at the challenges that lay ahead if the landscapes and wildlife wealth of Malaysia is to be secured for future generations. Supported by WWF Malaysia, and with over 200 spectacular colour photographs, this book is a celebration of Malaysia’s natural heritage.

Wildlife and nature guides to the world

  • Country guides
  • Mixed