Calling Proboscis Monkeys Requires Skill, Says Labuk Bay Sanctuary Ranger

By Suraidah Roslan

SANDAKAN, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Strange but true - calling proboscis monkeys, or monyet belanda as they are locally known, requires its own unique technique and method. Even a slight mistake is enough to prevent them from appearing during the feeding session for public viewing.

This is the daily reality for Mohammad Sabri Laleling, 28, a ranger at the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, whose duties include ‘communicating’ with the bayau, the affectionate nickname for the monkeys among locals.

Mohammad Sabri said the previous ranger had told him that a week of practice would be enough for the proboscis monkeys to recognise his voice.

“However, after a week of learning the calling technique from the former ranger, not a single monkey showed up. I continued practising into the second week, and that was when I felt excited - the monkeys finally began to appear when I called them,” he told Bernama.

The ranger, who has served at Labuk Bay for eight years, said there were times when the animals did not appear at all despite repeated calls, forcing the sanctuary to refund ticket fees to visitors.

In certain situations, he even has to venture into the mangrove swamp surrounding the plantation to draw the attention of the proboscis monkeys and guide them to the viewing platform before tourists arrive.

Situated in the middle of a 300-hectare oil palm plantation, Labuk Bay is one of Sandakan’s unique nature tourism attractions, offering wildlife experiences that are hard to find elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the sanctuary’s assistant manager, Ahmad Dinsa Sasang, 54, said the idea to establish the tourism centre emerged when his employer noticed that proboscis monkeys frequently visited the plantation area.

“When our late employer fed the monkeys, the proboscis monkeys kept returning to the area. That is how the idea of establishing the proboscis monkey sanctuary emerged in 2000, before it was opened to the public in 2001,” he said.

He explained that the proboscis monkeys live freely around the oil palm plantation and are not captive animals. Therefore, to ensure the bayau group arrives on time, rangers begin calling them at least two hours before the feeding session starts.

However, even more interesting is that it is not only the proboscis monkeys that appear - several other species also ‘show up’ at the two viewing platforms, including silvered leaf monkeys as well as long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques.

He said the presence of these various species makes the atmosphere at the sanctuary livelier, as if visitors are standing in the middle of a natural stage that showcases the harmonious coexistence of wildlife around the plantation.

So far, about 200 bayau have been observed coming to the feeding sessions, although on any given day, only 30 to 40 of them appear, arriving in several different groups.

Ahmad Dinsa said the proboscis monkeys are usually fed sugar-free pancakes specially prepared by the staff, along with cucumbers, with the cost of preparing the food amounting to about RM2,000 a month.

The Sandakan parliamentary constituency comprises two state constituencies, namely Elopura and Tanjong Rapat, which will be involved in the 17th Sabah State Election.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 25 for early voting, while polling day will be on Nov 29.

For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php.

-- BERNAMA