Black-Crested Macaque Taking Five
Another of Tangkoko National Park’s famous residents is the black-crested macaque. This guy was taking a break after a long day of foraging in the forest. I liked the depth in this one with that other macaque in the background doing pretty much the same thing. Amazing the human-like characteristics of these guys. Hanging with them for a few hours was definitely a highlight of my wildlife viewing career thus far.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 26mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/200th of a second
Tarsier Eyes
These are the eyes of a spectral tarsier. She is sideways, looking out from the cavity of a tree, getting ready for a night of cricket hunting. That light blotch below the eyes is the tarsier’s left ear. Tarsiers are among the smallest primates in the world, and they have one of the biggest eye to body ratios. I had the pleasure of photographing about five or six of these nocturnal creatures in Tangkoko National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/25th of a second, Nikon SB-800 flash
Bornean White Bearded Gibbon
Sometimes they let you get close. And when they do, why not take advantage. This was a very friendly Bornean white-bearded gibbon that I met in Indonesia. He hung around the welcome center of Tanjung Puting National Park and was obviously very accustomed to people.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 290mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/80th of a second
Bearded Piglets
I’ve posted a few shots of these bearded piglets before. Here’s another view. I had been shooting them with a longer lens and intrigued by the sound of the shutter, they came closer to investigate. This gave me an opportunity to pull out my wide angle. We were in Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 800, f/4.5 at 1/640th of a second
Young Orangutan in Forest
Orangutans are more swingers than they are jumpers. But it sure is impressive to see them swing from one tree to another, using the relative strength of each branch to their advantage. Of course, it helps when even their feet are really like two more hands. Here a young orangutan swings upside down through Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 150mm) ISO 800, f/2.8 at 1/640th of a second
Bornean White-Bearded Gibbon
The Bornean white-bearded gibbon is a different species from the white-handed gibbons that I saw in Thailand. This one, also known as the Bornean agile gibbon or southern gibbon, was photographed on my trip to Indonesia back in 2009. He was hanging around a troop of orangutans in Tanjung Puting National Park and was rather habituated to the presence of people in the area.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 360mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/250th of a second
Male Proboscis Monkey
It’s been a few years since I’ve posted one of these beauties — truly one of the most interesting looking, shall we say, creatures on the planet. At least the female is spared the potato looking nose. I saw quite a few of these guys hanging out in trees along river banks in Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo, Indonesia.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/125th of a second
Asian Elephant
The Asian elephant is smaller than the African elephant. Still, at 4 tons and 21 feet long, they aren’t exactly petite. This individual was a working elephant, used by the mahouts in Sumatra, Indonesia, as a means of transportation through the jungle. I was able to photograph them while they were playing in the river and getting one of their daily baths.
Nikon D700 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 25mm) ISO 400, f/11 at 1/400th of a second
Asian Elephant
This Asian elephant was enjoying a mid-day dip in a river near Tangkahan National Park in Sumatra. These elephants are the largest land mammals in southeast Asia, although still not quite as big as the African bush elephants.
Nikon D300 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/640th of a second