What wildlife can you see on a river safari in Borneo, Malaysia?

If you’ve been asking yourself, “What wildlife can you see on a river safari in Borneo?” let me tell you—Borneo is one of the best places in the world to see absolutely iconic animals in their natural habitat!

Like everything in nature, wildlife is unpredictable and sightings are never guaranteed. But with experienced guides on a Kinabatangan River safari in Borneo, you have an excellent chance to see proboscis monkeys, macaques, crocodiles, and if you’re lucky, larger mammals like orangutans and pygmy elephants (yes—MINI elephants!).

I’m a huge nature nerd who’s been obsessively chasing wildlife across the globe for years, and Borneo stands out. It’s home to one of the oldest tropical rainforests on Earth (140 MILLION years old!), and around 90% of the world’s orangutans are found here. River safaris are quiet and non-invasive, which makes them one of the best ways to observe wildlife without spooking them.

In this guide, I’ll break down what animals you’re most likely to see, which sightings are more luck-dependent, and what actually affects your wildlife-sighting chances on a jungle river safari in Borneo.

This guide is part of my Borneo safari series, where I unpack Kinabatangan river safaris, costs, packages & ecolodges, timing for seeing the incredible wildlife in Sabah! If Borneo’s on your bucket list, you’ll want to explore the rest of the series before you book!

Wildlife on river safari in Borneo: REALISTIC expectations

What wildlife can you see on a river safari in Borneo: How wildlife spotting works on a jungle river safari

On a river safari, you’re obviously doing boat-based wildlife viewing. The safari boat I went in was a small motored boat with around 10-12 people. An experienced guide is on the boat with you, scanning the water, banks, and tree lines for animals.

Get the full details on the exact safari I went on (price, logistics, number of daily cruises, where I stayed, etc) in this blog about the all-inclusive package I chose in Borneo! The guides were incredible at finding wildlife and I can’t recommend it enough!

Your guide also has a radio and is plugged into a network of local guides who let each other know when they find harder-to-spot animals like orangutans and pygmy elephants! If they get a tip about sighting either of these, we zip off immediately to try to see them as well, because they may not stay in one spot for long. When we spot animals, the guide cuts the motor on the boat, and we float slowly and quietly to observe them.

What are the Borneo Big 5?

The Borneo Big 5 are the 5 most iconic species you can spot in Borneo. They are:

• Bornean orangutan
• Proboscis monkey
• Pygmy elephant
• Rhinoceros hornbill
• Estuarine crocodile

No matter what you book for your trip to Borneo, you’re not guaranteed to see all of the Big 5. But part of the fun of wildlife spotting is the serendipity that you may or may not see something at any moment! That said, I felt really lucky to see all of the Big 5 on my 4-day, 3-night jungle cruise. 

Wildlife you’re most likely to see

• Proboscis monkeys: These are also known as the “long-nosed” monkey, and we saw tons of them every day! They live in either bachelor groups (males only) or harems (one dominant male with a group of females), and it was so fun to sit and watch their social dynamics.
• Long-tailed macaques
• Silver leaf monkeys
• Common birds: kingfishers, broadbills, and different hornbill species
• Crocodiles: We saw them actively swimming and often lying in wait on the banks, sitting still as stone under overhanging trees waiting for unsuspecting monkeys!

Wildlife you might see

Of course, the animals I wanted to see MOST fall into this “maybe” category, even though Borneo is really the only place in the world that you can see them!

• Pygmy elephants: Also known as the Borneo elephant, pygmy elephants are nearly half the height of their African cousins. They’re the smallest elephant subspecies and there are only about 1500 left in the wild, mostly because of habitat loss (palm oil plantations are everywhere outside of the conservation area) and human/wildlife conflict.
• Orangutans: The Bornean orangutan can be tough to spot with their dark reddish hair in the jungle tree line. We had an “almost” sighting on my very first cruise, but didn’t see another one until the VERY last day! They’re critically endangered, mostly because of deforestation for palm oil and logging, just like their neighbors the pygmy elephant. They’re also slow to reproduce and have issues with inbreeding, which means populations are going to have a hard time recovering. One really cool thing I saw in Borneo was orangutan “bridges,” built by locals to help the orangutans cross the rivers safely so they can more easily find a mate without having to swim across the river.
• Rhinoceros hornbill
• Monitor lizards

Rare or very unlikely wildlife sightings

It’s super unlikely you would see clouded leopards or any nocturnal mammals on a jungle river cruise safari in Borneo. Most cruises occur during the day for the best visibility, and leopards tend to hide deeper in the jungle and sleep up in the trees during the day. If it’s something you really want to see while you’re in Sabah, check out the Deramakot Forest Reserve‘s dedicated night safaris for the best shot! 

How time of year affects wildlife sightings

Jungle river safaris in Borneo are a year-round experience, but when you go can change what you see—and how easy it is to see it. During the drier months (roughly March–October), river levels tend to be more predictable, and wildlife often sticks closer to the banks, which can make spotting primates and birds from the boat easier!

In the wetter season (November-February), higher water levels can open up more of the forest and floodplain areas, meaning animals may spread out more—still awesome, just less concentrated. Seasonal fruiting also plays a role: when food is plentiful deeper in the jungle, animals don’t always need to hang out along the river as much, which can make sightings harder.

I went in September and it was wonderful! It wasn’t humid, and I actually saw very few mosquitos out on the river, which was one of my biggest concerns as someone who would strongly prefer to not come home with any itchy bites or malaria haha. It was warm during the day, so if you go in September, bring light, breathable clothing for sunny days and a light jacket or hoodie for sunset cruises. A couple of times we arrived back just after sunset and it got a little chilly on the water.

If you’re trying to decide when to go based on wildlife, river conditions, and comfort, I break it all down here: Best time of year to go on a jungle river cruise safari in Borneo

What affects your chances of seeing wildlife in Sabah?

There are a few factors that affect your chances of seeing specific wildlife in Borneo.

• Length of stay: The more the better, and I recommend a minimum of 4 days if you can swing it. I extended my stay an extra day, and thank goodness I did—I didn’t end up seeing an orangutan until that last day!
• Number of cruises: The package I purchased was 3 cruises a day, plus an evening hike if you’re not scared of massive jungle leeches. I passed on these, as I generally prefer to have my blood to remain inside my body.
• Guide experience
• Weather: In the rain, orangutans will often hide under their nests like an umbrella. However, when it was raining was the ONLY TIME I actually saw an orangutan on my cruise! So you never know 🙂

Is a jungle river safari the best way to see wildlife in Borneo?

In my opinion, yes! But there are a few other great spots for wildlife lovers that you may want to explore depending on your interests:

• Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, where you can learn about orangutan conservation efforts and see the care that goes into raising orphaned orangutans
• Visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC)
• Spend time at the Rainforest Discovery Centre

I recommend doing this awesome 1-day tour after your river safari. It’s a 4-in-1 (and includes lunch!) where you visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre! The tour is timed with animal feedings, and includes airport pickup and drop off.

Also, you can’t answer “What wildlife can you see on a river safari in Borneo, Malaysia?” without mentioning the ocean life! If you’re looking for tropical beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving with sea turtles and other marine life, be sure to bookmark these:

• Take this full day guided snorkeling tour (on a catamaran!) to enjoy gorgeous tropical beaches on the islands off Kota Kinabalu! You’ll go snorkeling at Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, which is part of the Coral Triangle and has some of the greatest biodiversity of any water in the world. It includes lunch and equipment and honestly, you can’t beat that price.
• Turtle Island Borneo, where endangered hawksbill and green sea turtles have a nesting site! From a respectful distance, you can observe the turtles laying eggs, the tagging of mother turtles for conservation, and the releasing baby turtles to the sea.

If you’re on the fence, I laid out my full pros and cons of the experience here, including what I loved and what I wish I knew BEFORE I booked: Is a jungle river safari in Borneo worth it? HONEST pros & cons!

I hope this answered your question, “What wildlife can you see on a river safari in Borneo, Malaysia?” It really is an incredible budget destination for wildlife lovers and I hope you enjoy your trip! Be sure to check out all the other Borneo blogs and resources I linked in this guide.