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Nestled in the Malay Archipelago, tropical Borneo has captured the imaginations of explorers and naturalists for centuries. Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and home to remarkable cultural and ecological diversity. Borneo’s primate community is exceptionally rich—the Earth Expeditions course site along the Kinabatangan River in Sabah (East Malaysia) is home to ten primate species, including proboscis monkeys, which occur only in Borneo, two species of leaf monkey, two species of macaque, gibbons, as well as the large-eyed, nocturnal tarsier and slow loris. Of greatest conservation concern is the orangutan, which occurs naturally on only two islands in the world, Borneo and Sumatra, and is under increasingly severe pressure, primarily from habitat loss. Researchers have projected that the orangutan, the only great ape in Asia, may completely vanish from the wild within two decades.

We will join local researchers from Borneo, the , and the dedicated villagers of the Kinabatangan region who are responsible for model community-based efforts to preserve orangutans, Bornean pygmy elephants, and other species. In addition to becoming familiar with primatological field methods and their applications, students in the course will work with local groups and develop new ways to engage communities worldwide in saving orangutans and other wildlife. Possible field studies include: social behavior of primates, habitat selection, census methods, impact of forest fragmentation and reforestation, and the use of social networks in great-ape conservation campaigns.

A typical day on this EE course includes exploration and hiking in the local environment, instructor and student-led discussions of key course topics, presentations, and engagement with local community experts, and time for inquiry investigations and journal writing. Prior to and following the field experience in Borneo, students will complete coursework via Canvas, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University's learning management system, as they apply experiences at home.

*** If you're interested in Borneo: Primate Conservation for Summer 2026, . This option is ideal for anyone needing Continuing Education Units or additional graduate credits, those with previous Master's experiences, or Dragonfly alums. We offer a limited number of spots (up to 6) for non-Master's candidates in most of our EE courses. An undergraduate degree is required. ***

Sukau and the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary consists of approximately 27,000 hectares of fragmented forest along the banks of the mighty Kinabatangan River. We will work with the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP), founded in 1998 by Drs. Marc Ancrenaz and Isabelle Lackman of Hutan, a French non-governmental organization, in collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department. KOPC is run by trained staff from the nearby village of Sukau and has been the source of significant data regarding the ecology and behavior of wild orangutans in secondary forest habitats. KOCP seeks to restore harmonious relationships between people and the orangutan and supports local socio-economic development compatible with habitat and wildlife conservation.

Danau Girang Field Centre

Located in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, this modern research facility, directed by Dr. Benoit Goossens and supported by Cardiff University and the Sabah Wildlife Department, is surrounded by a mixture of lowland dipterocarp forest types, ranging from primary forest to disturbed secondary forest, in a matrix landscape that includes significant human impact including villages, small-scale agriculture, and oil palm plantations. It is thus an ideal location to study wildlife and the effects of anthropogenic habitat alteration on biodiversity.

Earth Expeditions student groups are regularly featured in Danau Girang’s newsletter !

(Course locations are subject to change.)

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