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There are many people asking me about the wildlife at Pangkor, what animals can be seen. As on many other places in the world there's quite some wildlife to be seen at Pangkor. Here we present some of them. These are the ones you will see regular. Some animals are very curious and do come close to people, like monkeys and hornbill birds.
Animals like this monitor lizard do not often enter houses but it does very occasionally happen. However, you WILL see them in the wild. They are curious animals and for that reason they are often kill by cars. On this page we have a look at a selection of animals living in and around Pangkor. Of course there are many animals but there's a good chance you will be able to see the following animals in the wild yourself:
HornbillsOf all wildlife at Pangkor, the hornbills belong to the most spectacular one. The Giant Hornbill is a very large bird, roughly 120 cm in total length. The male has a red eye. The female's eye is white. Giant hornbills have a yellow slash in their wings and a big yellow bill. They are often heard before they're seen. If you hear a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh sound, look up! Their wings make this sound when flapping. There's a steady shhhhhh sound when they're gliding. However, the Giant Hornbill is not a natural inhibitor of Pangkor, they were imported from Sarawak. The Giant Hornbill is very shy. Your best bet to see them is to stay at Tiger Rock. In the evenings they will be reasonable easy to spot.
A true original from Pangkor is the Lesser Hornbill, his smaller cousin. It is the Lesser Hornbill you will most likely see when visiting the island. The Lesser Hornbill is not shy, they will come whenever there is food available. The story goes there are three hornbill families living at the island. One lives around Nipah Bay, the second around Pasir Bogak and the third a bit further south from Pasir Bogak. The photos shown here were the best I could get. At some stage there were a dozen or so hanging around and all were trying t o get a piece of the papayas. The Hornbills are all fruit eaters though they do eat insects, reptiles etc. The hornbill nests in the higher parts of Pangkor. The jungle here is dense and the trees are big enough for the hornbill to create a nest inside the tree. The female will stay inside the nest while the male is responsible for the feeding of mate and chicks. Usually they produce 2 or 3 chicks. The Hornbills do not have many natural enemies. Their worst enemy at Pangkor is probably the biawak who is a good climber and eats virtually everything he can get. The crow who, if he can, will rob the nests and eat the chicks. Turtles
Everywhere in Malaysia live turtles. The ordinary land turtles can be found in the jungle or even around the house. During the my time in Malaysia I have had not much luck with turtles. I saw them only a few times. Usually they are small, between 10 and 20 cm. Turtles are not easy to spot too. In the high crass they are easily overlooked but if you search well enough, you will find some. On the beach near Segari is the main breeding area of marine turtles located. There are 4 of the worldwide 7 known species breeding in Malaysia. At the beach side there is a turtle breeding station where the Department of Fishery breeds eggs and set them back in the sea, once the young turtles have a chance to survive. Although the breeding station is a fantastic way of seeing these beautiful animals alive, the best way to see them, of course is in their natural environment: the sea. Unfortunately there is no diving school anymore in Lumut/Pangkor available. Until last year there was a good dive school in Lumut. With them I have visited the nearby uninhabited Sembilan islands where still a few turtles live. Seeing them in the wild was one of the most impressive things of my underwater experience. Read more about the turtle breeding station at Segari Monkeys
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Biawaks or Monitor lizards
A description of wildlife at Pangkor (and Malaysia) is not complete without mentioning the biawak, or monitor lizard.
Full grown monitor lizards or biawak in the middle of Penang
Biawaks are the slightly smaller cousins of the more well known Komodo Dragon living in Indonesia (Rincon and Komodo islands). The biawaks are by no means as aggressive as the Komodo Dragon. Usually they are running harder then you can chase them.
Biawaks are widespread all over Malaysia. At the mainland they like to live on the estates living on small rodents, eggs, fruits and anything they can get. Biawaks are very territorial. This means you will most likely see the younger and slightly smaller animals going around (and be killed on the roads) while the older and larger ones stay inside the safety of the plantations chasing all the competition away.
When cycling or motor-biking around the island you'll find them mostly at the northern part of the island since it's a bit more remote. Having said that, biawaks can be found anywhere. Do not be surprised when you open you hotel room and see them running away between the chalets.
Biawaks can be seen in the Taiping Zoo but when we were in the Zoo, we saw also some wild biawaks going around on the hunt to eggs, fruit and whatever was available. The Taiping Zoo staff had to chase them away.
In many ways biawaks have a similar role as for example crows and vultures. They can be the "garbage men" of the jungle since they feed with anything including other dead animals.
The biawaks are exceptional good swimmers. Biawaks are very curious and not much afraid as long as you don't move much. Fully grown biawaks can be as big as two and a half meter. This is at last the seize I have seen here at a plantation when cycled through. When going around you will find many dead on the roads. In some cities, like Sitiawan, you can even eat biawak meat. It's good and tasty. If you go to Teluk Senangin, and stay for awhile at the beach there, it's most likely you will see huge biawaks coming out of the sea with prey.
Lizard in front of my house in Sitiawan
All along in Malaysia you will find also the little brother of the biawaks: the lizards, sometimes named Ghekko because of the sound the make. You will most likely see many of them. Sometimes you will find them on the walls in houses, stores and offices. The ghekkos are harmless, in fact they are very useful because their favorite food is: mosquitoes!
Lizards live almost everywhere and eat a lot of different things, including snake eggs, dead meat, fish etc. It really depends on the size what they can eat.
Sea eagles
Wildlife at Pangkor includes quite a few eagles breeding and hunting in and around Pangkor. Visitors at Pangkor are often welcomed by eagles.
The sea eagle is one of the biggest and (to me) most majestic birds of prey
in this part of Malaysia. They are quite common here. Some of the sea eagles
nest on the mainland (in the hills near Teluk Batik and Teluk Rubiah).
They hunt on fish and smaller animals like mice, rabbits, rats and squirrels if they can get them. You will see the eagles regularly gliding above Pangkor island though you won't easy see them very close.
Eagles, especially Red Eagles are common in and around Pangkor. There's even a spot near Teluk Rubiah where, if you are lucky, you can see 30 to 40 of them hanging out together, playing with the riverwater.
Snakes
Snakes are hard to get on the photo. This is one of
the few I found crossing my path further in Malaysia, it's NOT the
cobra of the story!
In Malaysia you can find plenty of snakes, some venomous, some are not. Snakes are hardly seen at daytime. Many are shy and silent hunters in the jungle or on the plantations. But in Malaysia, some very well known, and dangerous snakes live. Cobras and boa constrictors have a decent life in jungle or plantation. Still, do you have to be afraid of snakes when visiting Malaysia? Not really. Snakes avoid crowded areas but do go around in the small kampongs, jungle and plantations.
As all animals, snakes will not attack unless they feel themselves in danger. If in case you meet a snake, say simply hello and continue your way. When coming to Pangkor, you may see some dead snakes on the road, these are usually the younger and less experienced snakes and, like the monitor lizard, the older and bigger snakes stay in the jungle or plantations.
I have had my own meetings with snakes, one was especially scary: you can read the full story here about my encounter with a cobra at a plantation near Bruas, not far from Sitiawan.
Wild Boar
In the jungle of Pangkor and on the main land there wild boar living. The chance you will possibly see them is not very big as they are very shy. Locals hunt them for their meat (it is much like pig but has a wild taste. If you have ever tasted wild and domesticate rabbit you understand the difference).
Wild boar, like their domesticated cousin eats pretty much everything. One could say they are the garbage men of the jungle as they clean the area. If you are going out on a hike you most likely find trails of wild boar. Look for areas where the ground is ploughed. This is usually a sign a wild boar has been digging here.
Although wild boar are in principle not dangerous, they do attack quickly and their fearsome tusks can give severe wounds. Stay at distance and you're safe.
Another option to see quite some wildlife is to visit the Taiping zoo.
Back to the top of Wildlife at Pangkor
Read more about the Turtles in Malaysia
Back to Pulau Pangkor.com homepage
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Wildlife in Pangkor
Rick explored the jungle and beaches of Pangkor and found some amazing wildlife
Taiping Zoo
The Taiping Zoo is a very nice located and well maintained zoo and probably one of the very best in Asia.
Jungle Trekking
One of the better opportunities to see wildlife is to go out on jungle trekking. If you don't make much noise, you may find some snakes, biawaks and for sure monkeys
Here is more about jungle trekking in that area.
and
Turtles in Malaysia
The Turtle Breeding Station in Segari is worth a visit. Check it out!
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