Mammals of Malaysia
 |  |  |
Great for Mammal Watchers and Nature Lovers
Are you an avid rainforest mammals watcher?
Then watching some of the spectacular mammals of Malaysia in their natural habitats will surely enthrall you.
Or do you like animals because they really look cute and adorable?
Well, even if you're a casual animal observer, you'll love seeing Malaysia's mammals in the wild.
Because animal lovers know that animals have their own peculiar personality, character and special attractions.
How Many Species of Malaysia's Mammals?
The mammals of Malaysia is said to comprise of more than 200 species. They range from the smallest shrews, mice and rats to the largest elephants and gaurs or seladang.
If you've been reading books on wildlife and nature, then most probably you'd already know about the Malayan tiger or the Orang-utan, the Sumatran Rhinoceros and the Malayan Tapir.
Nature lovers and conservationists all over the world are now very concerned mostly about their endangered status, and these four beautiful animals need all the help and support to ensure they don't perish from this earth.
 |  |  |
Some Common Malaysian Mammals
Here are some of the more commonly known mammals of Malaysia:-
- Elephants (asian variety, and pygmies)
- Seladang (gaurs) and wild buffaloes
- Orang-utans, macaques, gibbons and langurs
- Bats
- Bears (Honey or Sun Bears)
- Squirrels
- Deers
- Rhinoceros
- Malayan tigers
- Wild pigs
- Tapirs
- Pangolins
The above are some of the main ones but there are many others, of course.
 |  |  |
Where Can We Find Mammals of Malaysia
There are many parks, reserves and sanctuaries in Malaysia where the wildlife are protected. And being protected areas, these parks and reserves inevitably also support other forest fauna like birds, insects and fishes, and valuable forest flora, besides the mammals.
Taman Negara for instance, has almost all jungle fauna species that are found in Peninsular Malaysia and is a wildlife protected area.
Orang-utans can be found in Sarawak (Semenggoh Sanctuary) and Sabah (Sepilok Sanctuary), while the proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants can be observed at the Kinabatangan River forests in Sabah.
You can also visit the Bukit Gandah Elephant Sanctuary in Temerloh, Pahang to watch trained elephants in action (and maybe bathe with them in the river). This is a transition center for wild elephants in Peninsular Malaysia.
There is also a Deerland center near Temerloh, and a Seladang (gaur) sanctuary at Jenderak, Pahang, if you wish to observe the largest cattle in the world.
How to Find The Mammals of Malaysia
Well, the trick to watching wildlife in the jungle, like at Taman Negara or Endau-Rompin State Park, is to ensure that you make as little noise as possible. Human voices scare them away.
And sometimes it is said that it is easier to spot wildlife in their natural habitats if it rains the night before. This is because the next morning the animals will be sufficiently hungry and will be out searching for food.
But in actual situation, most of the larger animals like tigers, tapirs or elephants and rhinos are hard to find in the forest. They avoid humans, and are able to hide and camouflage themselves appropriately in the jungle. Perhaps only a good forest or nature guide can discern their presence through their footprints in the mud and other signs.
The smaller mammals like gibbons, macaques, squirrels, etc. can be seen when they make their calls or when loud crashes of branches of trees are heard.
 |  |  |
Respect Other Animals
Do remember we humans are a mammal specie too. So please respect the lives of other mammals and animals on this home planet we call Earth.
We must learn to live with the other mammals, animals, insects and birds, among others, to ensure that when our future generations look about and around them, they don't just see only the humankind and nothing else around.
It will be a terribly sad day for our future generations if this were to happen, because for life to be interesting, there must be varieties of living things, right?
So do take care of our environment.
And enjoy the mammals of Malaysia.
Smile.
 |
 |
Return here from Mammals of Malaysia to Malaysia Wildlife and Nature Homepage
