Since my visit to Borneo in November 2009, I have attempted to try and keep up to date with emerging stories on the local wildlife & habitants. I read in a recent article, both covered in The Guardian and The Week, about recent discoveries in Malaysian Borneo.

So what is the longest insect in the world? The answer is Chan’s mega stick. Only recently identified by a Malaysian naturalist called Datuk Chan Chew. The creature measures almost two feet from its tail to the delicate tips of its antennae.

This is just one of 123 new species discovered in a vast conservation area on the island of Borneo. The heart of the Borneo Wildlife reserve, which is almost as big as the UK, is protected thanks to a pact between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. Since the agreement in 2007, biologists in the area have been identifying new species of flora and fauna at the rate of around 3 per month, with the World Wildlife Fund recently published an up to date list that includes 37 previously unknown species of orchid, 17 types of fish, a bronze-hued snake and a yellow/green slug (Ibycus rachelae) that shoots other slugs with aphrodisiac darts to get them in the mood for dating!

Borneo is not just for seeing the endangered Orangutan in the wild, but exploring the unknown world of flora and fauna whilst maybe spotting that elusive wild Orangutan searching for berries and roots.

Thanks for reading

Author: Steppes Travel