This Long-tailed Macaque appears to be dozing after a large meal of ripe Ficus microcarpa figs at Bako. Ficus microcarpa is the most common Section Conosycea strangling fig tree at Bako National Park in Sarawak.
There are three common monkeys at Bako, Proboscis, Slivered Langur and Long-tailed Macaque, however only the L.T Macaque eats ripe fruit. Proboscis and Silvered Langur cannot digest sugars and only eat unripe fruit and leaves. So the L.T. Macaque is likely one of the most important dispersal agents of Ficus microcarpa seeds at Bako.
The Long-tailed Macaques at Bako became so bold that they were snatching food from tourists eating in the cafes. After some culling they are now very wary and flee if humans get too close.There is plenty of wildlife to see at Bako including tame Bearded Pigs. However due to a circular “vortex” or mini-typhon which hangs over SW Borneo during the NW Monsoon (November to March each year) Bako is one of the wettest places in Borneo with over 4000 mm of rain per annum.The boat terminal at Kg Buntal, Bako is less than one hours drive from Kuching in Sarawak. The boat journey itself from Kg Buntal to Bako is only half an hour. However be warned that Bako HQ is on a very shallow bay and if the tide is low on arrival visitors to Bako will need to wade several hundred meters to the beach.Depending on the tides it can take from 1.5 to 3 hours to reach Bako from Kuching as the journey involves first a car ride to Kg Buntal followed by a boat ride from Kg Buntal to Bako Park HQ. As boat travel is dependent on the tides you may have to wait several hours for a boat.
