Tabin Wildlife Reserve
Sabah’s largest wildlife reserve, Tabin’s lowland dipterocarp forest provides the perfect habitat for a fantastic array of wildlife, including the Borneo pygmy elephant, orangutans and the proboscis monkey. Visitors to this reserve can enjoy wildlife walks, night safaris and trekking to the mineral-rich Lipad mud volcano.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve is home to the three largest mammals of Sabah, the Banteng and the Borneo pygmy elephant, as well as seven of Sabah’s eight primate species including orangutans, gibbons, proboscis monkeys and smaller species of macaque and langur. Although lesser sighted, visitors to Tabin may be in with a chance of spotting the elusive Sunda clouded leopard or the flat-headed cat. Keen birders will not be disappointed with the chance to spot over 220 species including the endemic white crown shaman, Bornean bristlehead and all of Borneo’s eight hornbill species.
What makes Tabin stand out from many other of Borneo’s national parks is its mud volcanoes. Spanning the size of a football field, the commonly visited Lipad volcano is not only an impressive sight in itself, but it is also is a hub of activity for surrounding wildlife who are drawn to lick the essential mineral nutrients held within the mud. Morning bird safaris and night drives are also popular in Tabin Wildlife Reserve as they give you the best chance of seeing wildlife as they search for food, as well as visiting the Lipad Waterfall, the perfect spot to enjoy a swim to escape the tropical heat.