Borneo Wildlife Guide
The Borneo rainforest is 130 million years old, making it the oldest rainforest in the world and 70 million years older than the Amazon rainforest. The island is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. There are about 15,000 species of flowering plants with 3,000 species of trees (267 species are dipterocarps), 221 species of terrestrial mammals and 420 species of resident birds in Borneo. It is also the center of evolution and radiation of many endemic species of plants and animals. World Wildlife Fund has stated that 361 animal and plant species have been discovered in Borneo since 1996, underscoring its unparalleled biodiversity. In the 18-month period from July 2005 until December 2006, another 52 new species were found. Subject to mass deforestation, the Borneo rainforest is one of the only remaining natural habitats for the endangered Bornean orangutan. It is also an important refuge for many endemic forest species, such as the Borneo pygmy elephant, the Bornean clouded leopard, the rare Hose’s civet and the Dayak fruit bat.Click the links below to learn more about each species.
