The Best Wildlife Sanctuaries in Malaysia
for a Close Encounter with Nature
Southeast Asia is home to an incredible variety of fauna that are indigenous to the region. In Malaysia alone there are an estimated 185,000 unique species of animals that call the region home, making the country the twelfth richest mega-centre for biodiversity in the world. If you’re exploring the area, we highly recommend giving the following places a look to get your taste of the local unique wildlife.
It's a bird, it's a plane...no actually it's a bird
Desaru’s coastal area is rife with beautiful wildlife, particularly the colourful avian fauna that perch on the top of trees, letting out beautiful song. Yet people tend to forget that and simply enjoy the beaches themselves. More power to them of course since the beaches are some of the most relaxing sandy beaches you can find for a getaway.
But these majestic indigenous birds that call this area home deserve their time on the spotlight too. If you want to see these birds in real life beyond just a David Attenborough documentary, Jungle Walla has some bird watching sessions that let you do just that! We highly recommend spotting these beautiful creatures first hand.
Malaysia's gentle giants
If birds are a little too small for you to see, you definitely won’t miss an animal as big as this! Elephants are the largest mammals on earth, with some weighing up to 6,300 kg (almost 14,000 lbs). As intimidating as that may sound, elephants have shown time and time again that they are gentle giants with amazing memory, approaching humans that they remember fondly and being playful with them even years after first meeting.
If you’d like to see that first hand and be in the company of these incredible creatures, then you can get yourself a private tour of an elephant sanctuary! Not only will you be able to see them, but you’ll be able to interact and feed with them too!
Race against ostriches
Ostriches seem exotic, almost alien to some when compared to other birds in the animal kingdom. But you don’t have to travel on 6 hour flights just to see them in person!
At the Port Dickson Ostrich Farm, they have a variety of animals from horses to rabbits, but as the name suggests its the the quick flightless bird that’s the star of the show. With speeds up to 70km/h (43.5mp/h), these birds are incredibly speedy! And you don’t have to take out word for it, at the farm you’ll be able to race against it and see its rapid movements up close!
Snakes in Genting
When someone mentions Genting, you may think of hotels, cable cars, theme parks, and casinos. Snakes and colourful frogs are probably the last thing that comes to mind.
But with Finex Pro, they let you explore the Genting area’s wildlife at night, letting you see the many reptiles that are tucked away in the shadows (snakes included!)
Don’t worry about them sneaking up on you though, their team is trained to guide you through so you have a safe time and a fun time too!
The people of the forest
The name Orang Utan is the Malay term for “Forest People”. A fitting name in our opinion, as they are remarkably similar to us, even exhibiting emotion the same way we do. They whimper when they’re in pain, and smile in the presence of their mothers. They are an incredible species of apes that show many signs of intelligence, emotion, and a sense of community and collaboration.
Which is why the men and women at the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation are doing everything they can to protect these magnificent creatures. They are currently endangered, at risk of extinction, so the foundation is investing time, money, and manpower to help ensure the continued survival of the Forest People that call this region home. If you’d like to see the Orangutans for yourself while also supporting their conservation, we recommended visiting Bukit Merah to do so.
The Best Wildlife Sanctuaries in Malaysia
for a Close Encounter with Nature
Southeast Asia is home to an incredible variety of fauna that are indigenous to the region. In Malaysia alone there are an estimated 185,000 unique species of animals that call the region home, making the country the twelfth richest mega-centre for biodiversity in the world.
If you’re exploring the area, we highly recommend giving the following places a look to get your taste of the local unique wildlife.
It's a bird, it's a plane...
no actually it's a bird
Desaru’s coastal area is rife with beautiful wildlife, particularly the colourful avian fauna that perch on the top of trees, letting out beautiful song. Yet people tend to forget that and simply enjoy the beaches themselves. More power to them of course since the beaches are some of the most relaxing sandy beaches you can find for a getaway.
But these majestic indigenous birds that call this area home deserve their time on the spotlight too. If you want to see these birds in real life beyond just a David Attenborough documentary, Jungle Walla has some bird watching sessions that let you do just that! We highly recommend spotting these beautiful creatures first hand.
Malaysia's gentle giants
If birds are a little too small for you to see, you definitely won’t miss an animal as big as this! Elephants are the largest mammals on earth, with some weighing up to 6,300 kg (almost 14,000 lbs). As intimidating as that may sound, elephants have shown time and time again that they are gentle giants with amazing memory, approaching humans that they remember fondly and being playful with them even years after first meeting.
If you’d like to see that first hand and be in the company of these incredible creatures, then you can get yourself a private tour of an elephant sanctuary! Not only will you be able to see them, but you’ll be able to interact and feed with them too!
Race against ostriches
Ostriches seem exotic, almost alien to some when compared to other birds in the animal kingdom. But you don’t have to travel on 6 hour flights just to see them in person!
At the Port Dickson Ostrich Farm, they have a variety of animals from horses to rabbits, but as the name suggests its the the quick flightless bird that’s the star of the show. With speeds up to 70km/h (43.5mp/h), these birds are incredibly speedy! And you don’t have to take out word for it, at the farm you’ll be able to race against it and see its rapid movements up close!
Snakes in Genting
When someone mentions Genting, you may think of hotels, cable cars, theme parks, and casinos. Snakes and colourful frogs are probably the last thing that comes to mind.
But with Finex Pro, they let you explore the Genting area’s wildlife at night, letting you see the many reptiles that are tucked away in the shadows (snakes included!)
Don’t worry about them sneaking up on you though, their team is trained to guide you through so you have a safe time and a fun time too!
The people of the forest
The name Orang Utan is the Malay term for “Forest People”. A fitting name in our opinion, as they are remarkably similar to us, even exhibiting emotion the same way we do. They whimper when they’re in pain, and smile in the presence of their mothers. They are an incredible species of apes that show many signs of intelligence, emotion, and a sense of community and collaboration.
Which is why the men and women at the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation are doing everything they can to protect these magnificent creatures. They are currently endangered, at risk of extinction, so the foundation is investing time, money, and manpower to help ensure the continued survival of the Forest People that call this region home. If you’d like to see the Orangutans for yourself while also supporting their conservation, we recommended visiting Bukit Merah to do so.