Gaya Island Resort - Malaysia
By Lizzie Heeley
A tropical paradise, a place to relax and rejuvinate - that's what our intreped reporter discovered when she was there last week. What she did not expect, but greatly enjoyed, was an unexpected meeting with a proboscis monkey. Here's what happened when they met this gentle giant.
The Gaya Island Resort team and guests were equally awestruck when a proboscis monkey was spotted bobbing in the sea close to the resort’s Malohom Bay last week.
Resident Marine Biologist Scott Mayback and Naturalist Justin Juhun were soon enlisted to help bring the animal back to shore. “We got close to the proboscis monkey and it immediately hopped onto the boat. It was obviously very tired from the swim and happy to be rescued.”
As the team neared the shore, the monkey jumped onto the beach, staying for awhile to regain its strength, before it disappeared back into the jungle.
The endangered proboscis monkey, identifiable by its large, pendulous nose, is endemic to the island of Borneo.
A short but exciting episode for guests and team members of Gaya Island Resort; enabling all to experience the magnificence of the proboscis monkey and bring home the need to protect them.