Cicada - the loudest ‘singer’ in insect world


Time to leave Bako. The boatman will be waiting for us at the warf at 12:00 noon. We still have a couple hours. Let have a few photos for remembrance of our trip.		1) With our friend who share the same Forest Hostel. 2) Can you see 2 monkey iat middle top ? 3) Nature made our spirit strong. 4) Selamat Jalan (Farewell) signboard.

Lot of monkey running around the registration office and canteen. Because visitor meet them everyday, these Long tailed macaques monkey have evolve into new type of monkey no more afraid of human. The same evolution may apply to the shy Proboscis monkey which today are shy and stay high on tree top away from any human. If visitor could continue visiting them every day, in time to come, say after a century, these Proboscis in Bako would one day over come their shy nature and evolve into a new kind of human-friendly species that would even come to the jetty to shake hand with the arriving visitors.

Perhaps knowing we are packing to leave and would leave behind some left over food, a troop of more then 10 long tail monkey ambushed our hostel and robbed away with biscuit and foods. This brought an excitement to the children.

Long tailed macaques were constant companions around the park accommodation area. Mostly fun to watch them whisked food off the table when the diner’s attention strayed.

After our breakfast while still have our left over food unpacked a troop of long-tailed Macques arrive. They are well known particularly naughty. These long tailed Macaques are cheeky little monkeys cadging anything its naughty little hands on!

	Like all other animals Long-tailed macaques have an vocal language for use in many situations. One of the common vocal calls is the "kra" sound made by an alerted macaques to show alarm to other monkey in the group.

Top : Orchithemis pulcherrima Bottom : Devadatta podolestoides

At a rocky forest stream in the thick undergrowth beside the forest path, what a wonderful sight to spot a dragonfly and a damselfly standing side by side on a dried twig. Both species though common species in Asia, but they are found only in small number in protected forest with unpolluted mountain stream.

An hour earlier I spoted an unusual grayish blue dragonfly also at the same rocky stream. (photo below). The color pattern is very ordinary and similar to those blue Libellulidae species except its size is mush smaller. It was until end of the holiday I returned home and counter checked with Dr. Orr's Dragonfly guide I realize I hit a jack pot......it is an scarcer species of Borneo the Tyriobapta laidlawi. An endemic species confine to the lowland Borneo. Endemic species of Borneo means this dragonfly not found in other part of the world other then Borneo Island.

Cicada is the loudest ‘singer’ in insect world. Day and night cicadas play their orchestra. All the sounds of cicadas seem similar but their are several different species singing at the same time.

Whenever we have our evening tea, a few small cicadas would buzz around us.

One even claw on my foot and work me up in the middle of the night.

Sarawak Forestry Department suggested that "......Bako is probably the best place in Sarawak for wildlife experience....." Our 3 days 2 nights trip in Bako proof that is true.

And while we enjoyed this natural environment and discover the wonder of living things it is easily to neglect an important human factor - the park management and park staff. The efficiency and well maintained environment do not happen by itself without a good management behind. The park staff taking care of Bako are of higher caliber then the staff in my local National Park (which claim having the tallest tropical tree in the world). The few staff we met have good knowledge of nature and friendly open to visitor any time to talk and answer their questions. They speak good English (at least much batter then many public sectors). Without them, Bako would be back to its natural jungle where no one feel comfortable to come. They are the new work force behind the successful Malaysian tourism economy.