6 primate species, 2 days

we just parted from sepilok, the orangutan sanctuary and 43 hectare diptocarp forest. we spent the past two days hiking on trails and watched both feeding times. there were between 8-12 orangs at each one. one of them was eating in public for the first time and didn't quite know how to behave. he came up onto the viewing platform and mingled with all the people there for a while before the ranger was able to chase him off. when we left, he attached himself to the pants of a woman near me, and i had to offer him my water bottle holder and pry his fingers off her terrified leg. i believe she couldn't tell if he wanted to mate her or pickpocket her. he looked as if he were doing both, but i think he was just looking for some company.

at the feeding we saw 2 species of macaques as well. on our hike the next day, we spotted 3 species of primates, all new for me: Borneo gibbon, red leaf monkeys, and proboscis monkeys. yeah!

we went on a night walk with one of the rangers and saw some pretty fascinating wildlife: big insects including a few walking sticks and a praying mantis (that we got to walk all over us), a civit cat and a flying squirrel. but the coolest creature was a green tree viper only a few meters off the trail. close enough to watch in detail but not close enough that it could have jumped over and bitten us (or so we hoped). instead, it contented itself with attacking the leaf we lit up in front of it.

still working out our next week on this side of the island but diving in one of the world's top dive sites - sipadan - is high on the list. whale sharks are supposed to be most common in april and may. hammerheads and others, always. wish us luck. not to be eaten (or even just attached; let's be honest, i'm too skinny to make a good meal) by a shark.