I debated whether to go to Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary on my last day in Sandakan, because I was about to spend a couple of annoying days on buses and could have really used the time to catch up on work.
Then I realised that hanging around with massive-conked monkeys would be the best thing it's possible to do on any day ever. This turned out to be the best day I had in Borneo by far, and for once my photos weren't a let-down.
The only problem I can see resulting from this is that the regular, non-snouted monkeys I used to enjoy hanging out with aren't really going to do it for me any more. It'd be like playing Spellbound Dizzy on an 8-bit ZX Spectrum emulator when you grew up with the superior 16-bit Amiga 500 version. Substitute this analogy for two comparative game consoles produced after 1990 if that's easier for you.
Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary,
Sabah
Compared to the crowds at the orangutan rehab centre, practically no-one is coming here. What's wrong with you people?
I spent all my time in Taman Negara trying to photograph a hornbill, and
here's one on my blinking arm.
Its name was Kiki, and wasn't the only big-nosed critter I'd be hanging out with today
First feeding
Leaping into action. This is already better than all the photos I managed to take in Klias
I'm not sure if that's five different monkeys or one being zoetroped
Here's some gratuitous monkey sex
Not enough for you? Not enough for him either, apparently
I couldn't not film it, could I?
Second feeding
You spend two weeks in Borneo trying to get close to a primate without distressing it,
then three plonk down next to you
They seemed pretty excited to see me. I can't pretend I was entirely flaccid either
Nice to see racial harmony in the monkey kingdom
But this is going too far
Angry about something
Gratuitous cute picture, with more extreme to follow
