Kinabalu Forest photo by ©Bill Yeaton

By definition a rainforest is a dense tropical or subtropical forest characterized by lush vegetation and relatively high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year. All of the rainforests in the world account for only about seven percent of the earth’s land mass and yet they contain more than fifty percent of the worlds’ animal and plant species! The Borneo Rain forest is one of these amazing ecosystems.

Located off the coast of southeast Asia, Borneo is one of the biggest islands in the world. The rainforest that this island harbors is unique and sadly diminishing quickly. Half of the worlds’ annual tropical timber comes from this one island! The Borneo rainforest is unique because it is the last remaining habitat for many endangered species including the Bornean Orangutan, the Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Asian Elephant and the Clouded Leopard.

For more information on this beautiful and intriguing please visit:

• http://www.worldwildlife.org
• http://encarta.msn.com

Hill Village photo by ©Bill Yeaton		Kiau House photo by ©Bill Yeaton
Kiau Washout photo by ©Bill Yeaton

Mt Kinabalu photo by ©Bill Yeaton
Spider Web photo by ©Bill Yeaton		Spider Web photo by ©Bill Yeaton

Kinabatangan River photo by ©Bill Yeaton
Rainbow photo by ©Bill Yeaton		Mt Kinabalu photo by ©Bill Yeaton

Mt Kinabalu photo by ©Bill Yeaton		Mt Kinabalu photo by ©Bill Yeaton

Orangutan photo by ©Bill Yeaton		Pitcher Plants photo by ©Bill Yeaton

Mt Kinabalu photo by ©Bill Yeaton		Orangutan photo by ©Bill Yeaton

Kinabalu Forest photo by ©Bill Yeaton

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~LEOPARDS~

The leopard is a big cat belonging to the family Pantherinae, a sub family of Felidae, which also includes jaguars, lions and tigers. There are actually three species of big cats that are lumped together under the title “leopard”. These are the Snow Leopard, the Clouded Leopard and the Persian Leopard. The Clouded Leopard is found through South East Asia, (from Nepal and southern China through Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo.) The Snow Leopard is a dwindling species that can be found across twelve countries in Central Asia. Sadly these beautiful creatures are numbering only about 5,000. Lastly the Persian Leopard is probably the most endangered of the three with only about 25 individuals existing in Armenia.

If you would like to read further on the habits, behaviors and characteristics of the Leopards, please utilize the links below:

• http://www.fccps.k12.va.us
• http://www.cloudedleopard.org/about.htm
• http://www.snowleopardconservancy.org/about1.htm
• http://www.persianleopard.com/refer.htm