Wildlife of S. E. Asia and S. America. A Photo Journal by Francis Burlingham.: Waterfalls and Rivers of The Titiwangsa Mountains

Introduction

Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to live in Thailand, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Colombia and now Brunei. In my spare time I have had the opportunity to travel fairly widely, camera in hand, in search of wildlife. In these posts I aim to share some of these experiences and show you some of the extraordinary wildlife that can be found in these regions. All of the photographs you see within the posts and pages here are my own unless otherwise stated. Copyright © Francis Burlingham 2015

Monday 18 July 2016

Waterfalls and Rivers of The Titiwangsa Mountains

Over the last two years I have spent a lot of time following rivers and visiting waterfalls in search of wildlife in the jungles of the main Titiwangsa mountain range in Malaysia. These mountains are still clothed in rainforest in many places and are easily reached from the capital Kuala Lumpur where I have been living.

A view across the rainforest from the mountains above Hulu Langat

These mountains are home to many endemic and rare species such as this Titiwangsa Horned Tree Lizard. I found this one on the ground, cold and slow after a heavy thunderstorm.

Acanthosaura titiwangsaensis (Titiwangsa Horned Tree Lizard) Fraser's Hill Malaysia

Chilled and slow after a sudden shower.

The high rainfall in the Titiwangsa mountains gives rise to many streams and rivers which in places form spectacular waterfalls. Some of these are easily reached and have been turned into recreational parks whilst others require more effort to reach. They all provide opportunities for photographing wildlife but some of the more popular sites tend to have a problem with litter. Sadly many visitors to these sites leave food waste and packaging and I have been surprised by how often I have seen disposable nappies left behind. The waste left behind sometimes attracts butterflies looking for mineral salts and I have often taken shots of this behaviour.

Graphium agetes (Fourbar Swordtail) on rubbish near Lata Jeriau

Cyrestis cocles (Marbled Map) Group feeding on discarded clothing near Bukit Kutu Malaysia

Graphium antiphates itamputi (Fivebar Swordtail) on an old sock near Lata Kajang Malaysia

It is possible at some of the popular waterfall sites to trace the rivers further upstream to avoid the crowds and to get into less disturbed forest. I did this a couple of days ago at the Sungai Tekala Recreational Forest and found a few nice falls well upstream of the main falls in the park. These were relatively litter free. The waste around popular falls attracts rats that can spread leptospirosis in their urine so it is best to avoid bathing where litter is present.

Sungai Tekala

Bathing upstream in a small canyon

Pandans on the Tekala river bank

Uropetala chiltoni (Giant mountain dragonfly) often seen near rivers in the region.

There are a large number of other easily visited waterfalls within a few hours of KL. (Lata means waterfall and Sungai means river.)

Lata Jeram Toi near Seremban

Lentang Recreational Forest east of KL

Lata Gabai in Hulu Langat

Lata Jeriau at Fraser's Hill

Lentang Forest Reserve

Trachypithecus obscura (Dusky Langur) with baby. Lata Jarum Malaysia

Other waterfalls require a little walking to reach.

Popular Lata Lepoh in Hulu Langat. A refreshing bath at the end of an hour or so walking uphill.

Lata Jebus near Bukit Kutu

Lata Jebus is a perfect bathing spot and a great area for photography

Lata Lolo on a side trail off the track to Gunung Nuang
Complete with rope swing.

Lata Lawing is hard to reach and rarely visited and as a consequence is pristine.

Flowers sprouting from tree trunks Lata Lepoh

Flowers on a tree trunk near Lata Lolo

Idea hypermnestra (Malayan Tree Nymph) by the river on the Bukit Kutu trail.

Graphium agamemnon (Tailed Jay) feeding on the decapitated head of a monitor lizard washed up on a sand bank.
Near Bukit Kutu Malaysia

Calotes versicolor (Changeable lizard) Shedding skin on the river bank on the Bukit Kutu trail.

Bronchocela cristatella (GreenCrested Lizard) Trail to Bukit Kutu Malaysia

The powerful and roaring Lata Seminyang

Some waterfalls take a little extra effort. Lata Seminyang requires a 4WD vehicle and a good parang to hack a trail along the river bank to reach it. The reward is a beautiful pristine waterfall, however I saw a lot of deforestation happening in the immediate area that will ruin this place eventually. There were plenty of gibbons hooting in the trees in the area and I managed to get this shot of a rare species of hornbill when I visited last year.