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I frequently saw huge, battered, stuffed toy tigers sitting on car roofs in many rural
areas as monkey deterrents.
The most common dangerous creature encountered during my fieldwork was the
crocodile (Fig. 5.15). Crocodiles are happy to subsist on a diet of monkeys, dogs,
fish, shore birds, people or whatever crosses their path and looks like dinner. When
working in Borneo, caution and respect must be your guides. Borneo crocodiles are
infamous man-eaters. Attacks and deaths are relatively common. This is not too
surprising since many people spend a lot of time around and in the water bathing,
washing clothes and fishing, especially along the muddy rivers where crocodiles are
most abundant.
But crocodiles are also in coastal waters. Brunei Bay and the islands (Pulau) of
Balambangan and Banggi off the north coast of Sabah have large crocodile populations, particularly along mangrove-fringed coasts. You must be extremely careful
when working in these areas. Crocodiles are lightning fast when motivated, and
deadly. Boats do not guarantee protection as crocodiles can snatch prey as they
propel themselves over boats and back under water, with their human prize dragged
to a violent, horrifying, watery grave. Now that I’m typing this, it sounds kind of bad.
Tempting Fate on My Trip to Pulau Mantanani
with the Illanun
I planned to survey Pulau Mantanani, a group of three small limestone islands about
25 km off the NW coast of Sabah (Fig. 5.3). I would survey these despite worries
about the Illanun, a Muslim coastal tribe in northern Sabah. They have a long
Fig. 5.14 Typical waterfront scene on the Limbong River at Pekan Limbong, northern Sarawak.
(Image by Peter R. Parham)
P. R. Parham
I frequently saw huge, battered, stuffed toy tigers sitting on car roofs in many rural
areas as monkey deterrents.
The most common dangerous creature encountered during my fieldwork was the
crocodile (Fig. 5.15). Crocodiles are happy to subsist on a diet of monkeys, dogs,
fish, shore birds, people or whatever crosses their path and looks like dinner. When
working in Borneo, caution and respect must be your guides. Borneo crocodiles are
infamous man-eaters. Attacks and deaths are relatively common. This is not too
surprising since many people spend a lot of time around and in the water bathing,
washing clothes and fishing, especially along the muddy rivers where crocodiles are
most abundant.
But crocodiles are also in coastal waters. Brunei Bay and the islands (Pulau) of
Balambangan and Banggi off the north coast of Sabah have large crocodile populations, particularly along mangrove-fringed coasts. You must be extremely careful
when working in these areas. Crocodiles are lightning fast when motivated, and
deadly. Boats do not guarantee protection as crocodiles can snatch prey as they
propel themselves over boats and back under water, with their human prize dragged
to a violent, horrifying, watery grave. Now that I’m typing this, it sounds kind of bad.
Tempting Fate on My Trip to Pulau Mantanani
with the Illanun
I planned to survey Pulau Mantanani, a group of three small limestone islands about
25 km off the NW coast of Sabah (Fig. 5.3). I would survey these despite worries
about the Illanun, a Muslim coastal tribe in northern Sabah. They have a long
Fig. 5.14 Typical waterfront scene on the Limbong River at Pekan Limbong, northern Sarawak.
(Image by Peter R. Parham)
P. R. Parham