The Gomantong Caves are an intricate

cave system A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea c ...

inside Gomantong Hill in

Sandakan Division Sandakan Division ( ms, Bahagian Sandakan) is an administrative division of Sabah, Malaysia. It stretches diagonally from the northeastern coast of Sabah to the state's central region. With an area of 28,205 square kilometres, it occupies 38.3% o ...

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The hill is the largest

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

outcrop in the Lower Kinabatangan area.

Description

Situated in the Gomantong Forest Reserve, the caves and the surrounding area are a protected area for wildlife, especially

orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genu ...

s. The limestone hill is also the only known site for the endangered land snail '' Plectostoma mirabile''. Investigation of the guano deposits were first made in 1889 by J.H. Allard of the China Borneo Company, and the caves were first mapped by P. Orolfo in 1930. Detailed re-mapping and laser scanning of the caves was conducted in 2012 and July 2014. The bat population is dominated by a colony of the

wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat The wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon plicatus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philip ...

(''Chaerephon plicatus''), whose nightly exodus is a popular tourist attraction. The population size, which has been widely exaggerated in the past, was counted at between 275,000 and 276,000 in 2012. There are also

bat hawk The bat hawk (''Macheiramphus alcinus'') is a raptor found in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia to New Guinea. It is named for its diet, which consists mainly of bats. It requires open space in which to hunt, but will live anywhere from dense r ...

s that linger not far from the scene and prey specifically on the bats as they leave their roost.

Bird nest harvesting

For centuries, the caves have been renowned for their valuable edible

swiftlet Swiftlets are birds contained within the four genus, genera ''Aerodramus'', ''Hydrochous'', ''Schoutedenapus'' and ''Collocalia''. They form the Collocaliini tribe (biology), tribe within the Swift (bird), swift family Apodidae. The group contain ...

nests, which are harvested for

bird's nest soup Edible bird's nests are bird nests created by edible-nest swiftlets, Indian swiftlets, and other swiftlets using solidified saliva, which are harvested for human consumption. They are particularly prized in Chinese culture due to their rarity ...

. The most valuable of the nests, the white ones, can sell for very high prices. The birds' nest collection is an ancient tradition, and the trading of these nests has been done since at least AD 500. Twice a year, from February to April and July to September, locals with licenses climb to the roof of the caves, using only

rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan, is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed- canopy old-growth tropical fores ...

ladders, ropes, and

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

poles, and collect the nests. The first collection takes place early in the breeding season before the swiftlets lay their eggs. The birds then make another nest in which they finally lay their eggs. After the young have fledged, the second collection is made. Care must be taken to assure that the nests are collected only after the young swiftlets have abandoned these nests. These individuals are very much in demand by the people and communities that hold the government's harvesting licenses. Edible birds' nests are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment of 1997. Heavy fines and penalties are imposed on unlicensed collectors.

Caves accessibility

The main cave system is divided into two parts: the more accessible Simud Hitam (Black Cave), and the larger Simud Putih (White Cave) which lies above. The names refer to the main type of nests produced by

s in each cave. The cave system is home to many other animals, including massive populations of

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...

es,

centipedes Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an a ...

and

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

s. Outside one can see many raptors including

crested serpent eagle The crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considera ...

kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

s, and

Asian fairy-bluebird The Asian fairy-bluebird (''Irena puella'') is a medium-sized, arboreal passerine bird. This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia, Indochina and the Greater Sundas. Two or three eggs are laid in a small cup nest in a ...

s. Access is in the form of a wooden walkway circuiting the interior.

Simud Hitam

Simud Hitam ("Black Cave") is the more accessible of the two caves, only a few minutes' walk from the entrance building, and it is open to the general public. Its ceiling can reach high. It is the source of the less-valuable "black saliva" nests. These contain both feathers and saliva and require cleaning afterwards.

Simud Putih

Simud Putih ("White Cave") is the larger of the two caves, and also the more technical; it is not open to the general public, and access requires appropriate caving equipment and experience. It is where the more valuable "white saliva" nests of the swiftlets are found, and is reached by a steep, 30-minute climb further up the mountains. The main entrance is located above and adjacent to the main "lighthole" at the back of Simud Hitam.

References

Other sources

* * Site presents the new maps of the Gomantong Caves.

External links

Simud Hitam (The Black Cave)
{{Geography of Sabah Caves of Malaysia Limestone caves Landforms of Sabah Sandakan Division