Proboscis Monkey or Bekantan of Borneo

Pictures by Thomas, www.snowmanstudios.de

Proboscis Monkey is one of the biggest monkey species, locally called as bekantan and its binomial name is Nasalis larvatus. The monkey is the endemic species of Borneo Island (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei). Due to fire and change of land allocation, they are endangered situation.

The physical trait we can see from the proboscis monkey is its big long nose. Male has bigger nose and it is to attract female and who ever creates the louder vocalization is the most attractive. The proboscis live in group of one male and several females. Male or female proboscis can leave their natal group for status elevation, breeding or reduce food competition.

Proboscis live predominantly arboreal at or not far from the river, occasionally terrestrial and quadrupedal. Very Their diet consists of leaf, unripe fruit, flower and also small smaller amount of insects. His diets generates gas that proboscis has protruding stomach. Mother proboscis sometimes chew leaves for the cub to be digested easier. The predators of the monkeys are python, leopard, crocodile, monitor lizard. Unlike other monkeys, they can swim to narrows and if possible they cross it arboreally.

They live up to 25 years, and their daily activity is resting, traveling, vigilance and feeding. After waking up they mone inland and at dusk return to riverside and eat before dark. Feeding time is in the morning and at dusk.

One of the National Parks you can see this wild monkey is in Tanjung Puting National Park. You can see them in the morning and in the late afternoon on trees at the riverside on their feeding time schedule.

-Various Source-