Journey into the Wild
A growing collection of wildlife encounters from my adventures. Finding animals in their natural habitats and journaling the long walks, early starts and lucky moments it took to find them.
Singapore
Mangroves and mudflats where otters and crocodiles live within sight of the skyline.
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Mangrove boardwalks and tidal mudflats on Singapore's north-west coast.
A lone painted stork (possibly a Painted / Milky Stork hybrid?) was wading along the mud flats. Head down, beak ajar, with a single wing raised. It is believed that the raised wing helps to cast a shade that flushes prey out from hiding.
Pasir Ris Park
A seaside park on Singapore's north-east coast, with a mangrove boardwalk along Sungei Tampines.
I got a tip off from some birders in the mangrove boardwalk that the spotted wood owl family was roosting on a tree near the Rasa Istimewa restaurant. They were kind enough to describe the exact tree and its surrounding landmarks. And so I scurried off to try to catch my first sighting of these owls in Singapore. As I closed in to the particular tree, the sight of another photographer aiming at the canopy gave me confirmation that I was at the right one. There were three owls in the family. Mum and dad were fast asleep, but the juvenile owlet was curiously peering at me.
Central Catchment Reserve
Malaysia
Rainforest, river mist and the wildlife of Sarawak, the Land of the Hornbills.
Bako National Park
Sarawak's oldest national park: sea cliffs, sandy bays and mangroves, reached by boat.
As we walked through the forests of Bako National Park, we kept hearing the crashing of trees in the distance. Yet every time we turned to look, all we saw were swaying branches and falling leaves. We pressed on and kept trying to match a visual to the sounds we were hearing. Finally, we found an opening that allowed us to observe this male proboscis monkey settling down on a branch and feeding on leaves.
Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
Forest south of Kuching where rehabilitated orangutans come in from the trees at feeding time.
Kenya
Long grass, giraffes on the skyline and acacias spread flat against the evening.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Open savanna in south-west Kenya, running into the Serengeti across the Tanzanian border.
Nairobi National Park
Kenya's oldest national park, just south of the capital, where giraffes and rhino graze open plains with Nairobi's skyline on the horizon.
We arrived at the national park gates at 6am. It was a special moment as it was our very first safari game drive (in Kenya, in Africa, in our lives). We marveled at the vastness of the plains, which was just a 20min drive from our hotel in the city. We were enthralled by the rising sun, which was magnified as we were close to the equator. Then we noticed stick-like silhouettes moving in the foreground - Giraffes! We waited patiently for one to glide past the sun, which provided a brilliant halo of orange hues that accentuated its already striking patterns.
Bryan Tan
Singapore-based hobbyist photographer. Avid childhood enjoyer of Animal Planet, Nat Geo and Discovery Channel. Fascinated by wildlife and its conservation.
© Bryan Tan. All rights reserved.