Bukit Piton Wildlife Safari

Bukit Piton is an extension of the Danum Valley jungle situated at the Ulu Segama- Malua forest region. It was once destroyed by fire and poor logging practices. However, through efforts by WWF – Malaysia, Yayasan Sime Darby, Sabah Forestry Department and various other non profitable organizations and naturalists, this once degraded forest is being restored and nurtured with love – hence welcoming the orang utans and other wildlife back to their home bound.

Bike and Tours first visited Bukit Piton in late 2016 on a recce tour. We were briefed that in order to set expectations, that even though Bukit Piton is a secondary rainforest and that chances to see the wildlife is higher compared to seeing them in a primary rainforest, the fact that it is still in the wild must be realized. That this is not the zoo where one could see the animals in its cage or in a confined area. So there is no guarantee that you get to see the orangutan. Having that expectations in mind we went in to Bukit Piton on a neutral stance. What we sighted during our short visit was a big bonus as the first Orangutan made its appearance as we just entered the jungle. Spotting an orangutan in the sanctuary is nice but spotting the orangutan in the wild is ultimately a priceless privilege! As this beautiful creature noticed our presence , it continued eating before gracefully swinging its way back in the depth of the jungle. As we continued our journey we spotted another 2 orangutans. Other wildlife spotted during the late afternoon and night safaris were the storm storks, hornbills, kingfishes, leopard cat, slow lorries, moon rat and many more. The thing that amazed us most is density of the orangutan spotted within a kilometer square is high. Throughout the years, some visitors have seen more orang utans than us and some has seen none. As mentioned this is still the wild. It is not a guarantee that you get to see the orangutan on your first visit.

What we learnt about Bukit Piton is that it is classified as Class 1 Forest Reserve. Though forest restoration efforts are taking place, this badly damaged jungle is still falling short on food source for the Orang Utan and other wildlife. On going support from visitors to contribute to tree planting and maintenance activities are highly encouraged. Find out more on how you could contribute to growth and maintenance of this jungle.