West Coast Division > Kota Kinabalu > Places to Go > Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
15-25 km from Kota Kinabalu City (about 30 minutes)
Occasionally, a friendly wide-eyed deer will shove its nose towards the visitor for a gentle rub.
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park was open to public on the 17th February 2007. A
Wildlife Park worth a visit for the animals of Borneo that one might otherwise
not get to see in real nature. Lok Kawi Wildlife Park has a good collection of
Borneo wildlife and provided decent facilities for these animals. The management
also involved in conservation and education.
It is located along the Penampang-Papar old road about 25 kilometers from Kota
Kinabalu, the Wildlife Park is a combination of a zoo and a botanical garden.
Sprawled over 280 acres of land, it is developed and managed jointly by the
Sabah Wildlife Department and Forestry Department.
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park can be easily accessible by either the old
Penampang-Papar road via Donggongon town or the Putatan-Papar road.
The park consists of two components: zoological and botanical. The park is a
family-oriented park and the emphasis is put on the Children’s Zoo. The Park has
exchange programmes with Melaka Zoo in introducing new animals to visitors in
Sabah.
The Park was formally a rubber plantation that has reverted to a secondary green
jungle. It costs about RM2millions a year to maintain this first wildlife park
(Zoo) in Sabah.
The Wildlife Park's main aims are to;
1) Increase Public Awareness
2) Provide World Class animal facilities and enclosures
3) Start an environmental education programme
4) Make captive breeding of endangered species possible
5) Allow research activities to take place
The bird aviary and botanical garden especially has a jungle-like feel to it.
For those who don’t have the time for a real trip into the jungle, the zoo is a
convenient place to see the wildlife of Borneo such rare animals like the
Sumatran Rhinoceros and Bornean Clouded Leopard, which would otherwise be very
difficult to spot in the wild.
Animals that are not from Borneo include the zebras, ankoli cattle, capuchin
monkeys, ring-tailed lemurs and tigers.
In the mean time, visitors are still welcomed to see the orangutan ‘Marsha’ and
her friends. Be amused by their antics during the daily exhibition which is to
take place at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park Amphitheater (situated opposite the
cafeteria) from 11.15am and 3.30pm.
Among the inhabitants of the zoo (zoological component) are the Borneo Pygmy
elephants, Sumatran rhinoceros, Orang Utan, Proboscis monkey, Malayan tiger, as
well as different species of deer.
The botanical component, on the other hand; offers visitors the opportunity to
go jungle trekking along the botanical trail. The paved trail is about 1.4
kilometers long. However, for leisurely strolls, visitors are only advised to
walk halfway along the trail.
How to get to Lok Kawi Wildlife Center
The journey to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park takes 30 minutes to an hour’s drive from
Kota Kinabalu, the estimated distance is 20 kilometers. For transportation,
visitors can either drive or take a taxi from the city centre.
Further Information:
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park - Telephone : 088-765793, 088-765710. Fax : 088-765762.
Administrative Building of Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
Among the facilities at the park are the administrative building, visitor
centre, car parks, public toilets and food stalls.
For those who yearn to see the proboscis monkeys at close range, one do not have
to go all the way to Sungai Klias in Beaufort or Bako Park in Kuching to see
them. Lok Kawi Wildlife Park enables you to see the probosis monkeys and various
other animals of the tropical rainforests. Visitors get the chance to see the
animals up close in the park's wilderness setting.
Proboscis Monkey have two stomachs (the extra one is used to ferment the
difficult to digest leaves they like.
A male Probosis Monkey can be easily distinctive from his huge nose.
Behind : A male
Front : A female
A female is small in size and smaller sharp nose.
The Proboscis Monkeys has their own enclosure with a flowing stream of water and enough branches to climb around.
A group of Proboscis Monkeys usually consist of one alpha male and several
females. Proboscis Monkeys are distinctive, of their huge noses. There is
apparently no scientific explanation for these bulbous noses. Theory suggests
females are attracted to the biggest nose and thus, the alpha males usually has
the biggest. Noses.
The females are smaller in size and have small noses. They walk upright on
ground when they’re not on the trees.
The nose for young proboscis monkey is dark color. The color changes as they
grow older.
Animal show is a hit with the children and the orang utan knows how to make
an entrance swinging into the amphitheater.
Visitors are amused to see the orangutan ‘Marsha’ compete with Edwin from Hong
Kong in who will first finish in remove the hush of a coconut.
This daily animal shows take place at the Amphitheater at 11.15am and 3.30pm.
When we where there the Amphitheater was fully packed with about 200 visitors.
the animal shows are held with assistance from experts from Singapore Zoo. The
host of the animal show deserved a round of applause. It was good, professional
and entertaining.
More about
Orang Utan in
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park...
Animal Show
After the Animal Show, the visitors has a chance to approach the stage to have a close look and take photographs of the animals and ask question to the host about animals.
Photo below right : Great to be close to nature - After the show the host of the
animal show let the young visitors to have a gentle touch of a 4 months baby
snake.
Wagler's Pit-Viper
(Tropidolaemus Wagleri)
Ula Kapak
Reptile House (for snakes and lizards)
Observing the playful otters somersaulting in the water and the gibbons showing
off their loud, elaborate voices are fascinating...
Smooth Otters are cute animal. The zoo keepers feed them with small fish. When
fishes are throw to them, they will just rush to the food.
Otters communicates by shrill, yelping calls and whistles.
Ostrich
Ostrich birds are flightless. It can grow up to 1.75 - 2.75m in height and weigh
about 136 kg.
They are found in the open Savannah in South Africa and Namib desert of South
West Africa.
Females mature about 6 months earlier than males and reach sexual maturity at 3
years.
The average life expectancy is approximately 40 years but they can live up to 70
years.
Ostrich females lay up to 12 eggs for incubation in a pit dug out by the male
bird. The incubation period is approximately 6 weeks.
They are omnivores and the diet consists of plant material's such as grasses,
leaves, seeds and small animals such as rodents, lizards and insects
The smallest bear in the world. The word "heli" is Sun 'arctos' is Bear
The hair is short and entirely black, except for a white spot or V-Shape mark on
the upper chest.
Sun Bears can grow up to 5 feet tall and weight to 60 kg. They are large
powerfully built; head is large and flexible muzzle omnivorous mammals with a
short tail and a good sense of smell, but poor sight and hearing.
Of all the bears this is the most agile climber and spends a great time in
trees.
Sun bears feeds on fruit and leaves gathered directly from the branches apart
from termites, bee nests, and small mammals by using their front paws and long
tongue.
In the wild Sun Bears live solitarily and is mainly active at night, and spends
the day basking in the sun and sleeping.
Female bear gave birth their cubs on the ground in a secluded spot and remain
with their parents for up to 2 years.
More about Malayan Sun Bears
Malayan Tiger
There are three tigers in the Tiger Enclosure. A single, simple platform
perched, provided some shaded area where these 3 tigers were underneath this
structure.
More about Malayan Tigers...
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