Friday, 25 September, 2020 12:23:24 AM

West Coast Division  > Kota Kinabalu  > Places to Go > Lok Kawi Wildlife Park


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
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.
 



Lok Kawi Wildlife Park



Proboscis monkeys


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.
A male Probosis Monkey can be easily distinctive from his huge nose.
 

 

Behind : A male. Front : A female
Behind : A male
Front : A female
 

 

A female is small in size and smaller sharp nose.
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.


orang utan
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.
Animal ShowAnimal Show


Wagler's Pit-Viper
Wagler's Pit-Viper
(Tropidolaemus Wagleri)
Ula Kapak

 

Reptile House (for snakes and lizards)
 


lizardlizard



Gibbons
Playful Otters and Gibbons


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

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
 


Malayan Sun Bear
The Malayan Sun Bear

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
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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