Geography

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world. It is divided into four political regions: Kalimantan belongs to Indonesia; Sabah and Sarawak are part of Malaysia; a small remaining region comprises the sultanate of Brunei. Located southeast of the Malay Peninsula and southwest of the Philippines, Borneo is primarily mountainous, with dense areas of rainforest.

With a generally hot, wet climate, rain is more common than not, with some portions of Borneo receiving between 150 and 200 inches of rainfall annually. Given the abundance of rainfall, it makes sense that Borneo's flora is among the most diverse in the world. Borneo has nearly 11,000 species of flowering plants, about a third of which are indigenous. In one 16 acre area of Borneo's lowland forest, over 700 species of trees have been recorded. In comparison, there are only 171 native tree species in all of eastern North America.

Biodiversity

Borneo is very rich in biodiversity compared to many other areas. It is also the centre of evolution and radiation of many endemic species of plants and animals.

Flora
Borneo has 15,000 species of flowering plants. That is as rich as the whole of Africa, which is 40 times larger, and 10 times richer than the British Isles. In addition Borneo has 3000 species of trees, 2000 orchids, and 1000 ferns. One tiny 1.12 hectare Bornean rainforest plot included 264 tree species and that did not include its palms, lianas, orchids, ferns and other vegetation.

Fauna
Borneo's animal life is no less diverse. It supports on the order of 222 mammals, 420 birds, 166 serpents, 100 amphibians, and 394 freshwater fish, not to mention the invertebrates, by far the most numerous animal species in tropical rainforests. The remaining Borneo rainforest is the only natural habitat and an important refuge for many endemic, endangered species, such as the Bornean orangutan, Pygmy Elephant, Sumatran Rhinoceros and Clouded Leopard. WWF has stated that 361 new species have been discovered in Borneo since 1996, underscoring its unparalleled biodiversity.

Kinabatangan River

It is one of Borneo's longest and most majestic rivers. The river and its surrounding rainforest wetlands make up one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. The floodplain itself is a rainforest wetland, and it is the largest remaining forested floodplain in Sabah. Scientists prize this region as a natural heritage site of international importance. The Kinabatangan is one of only two known places on earth where 10 primate species can be found. These include Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey, Maroon Langur and Bornean Gibbon. Sharks and rays, usually thought of as sea creatures, live in freshwater in the Kinabatangan but little is known about them. The animal life along the river has yet to be fully studied.

Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Center

Established in 1964 to return injured or orphaned apes back to the wild. Today it is one of the best places in the world to see the legendary 'wild man of Borneo' and support a project that is helping to prevent the extinction of these fascinating, gentle creatures.