Brunei’s latest craze: Fig tree watching!

Thanks to the conservationist philosophy of the Sultan of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam retains more forest cover and consequently more wildlife  than the other Bornean states.

The result is that it is possible to easily observe wildlife in Brunei that has long vanished from the neighbouring Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

A fruiting Ficus dubia fig tree  only 30 minutes drive from the capital city Bandar Seri Begawan  that fruited in early August 2026 attracted a group of keen Bruneians  eager to   observe and photograph two of  the worlds rarest animals, Hoses’s Langur and Helmeted Hornbill.

This fruiting Ficus dubia attracted four species of hornbills, two species of squirrels, and numerous birds including the very scarce Large Green Pigeon.

Rainforest animals generally remain hidden and are usually difficult to see but a fruiting fig pulls these animals from out of the forest  and into the open.

Thanks to Joremy Tony, Ulmar Grafe, Edd Bautista and  Chiew Wee Cheng for information and photos.