Indonesia Wildlife

As an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, Indonesia boasts the largest diversity of marine life in the world and sustains 17% of the world’s bird species. Ecologists classify the fauna of the islands according to the Wallace Line, which runs between Kalimantan and Sulawesi, extending down between Bali and Lombok. Named after British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace, this invisible dividing line distinguishes the Australian fauna to the east from the Asian fauna to the west. Asian mammals west of the line include leopards, black panthers, the Sumatran tiger, orangutans (found only in Sumatra and Borneo), the Asian elephant, Sumatran rhinos, and the Javan one-horned rhino. On the Australian side live komodo dragons (the world’s largest lizard), kangaroos, and other marsupials, which nurse their immature young in abdominal pouches. The eastern islands also support colorful birds, including many species from the parrot family, and small mammalian species like the babirusa (jungle-dwelling pig related to the hippopotamus, whose name translates to “pig-deer” because of its antler-like tusks) and the monyet hitam (a type of black monkey). Indonesia’s coral reefs are home to the fast-disappearing giant sea turtle, and shoreline mangrove forests host a vast array of rare crab, shrimp, and fish species.

In the 19th century, Wallace asserted that wildlife in Borneo is Asian, while Sulawesi’s animal friends are Austronesian. Indeed, Sulawesi’s bizarre fauna often has more in common with the creatures of Australia than with those of much closer Indonesian islands. Sulawesi’s isolation from larger landmasses has resulted in a proliferation of unique species; over 60% of Sulawesi’s mammals and a third of its birds are endemic. Three species are particularly celebrated on the island. Lucky travelers might catch a glimpse of the famous babirusa, which has monstrous tusks that curve through the roof of its mouth. Another fearsome beast is the anoa (miniature buffalo), whose size belies its ferocity. Rounding out the trio is the maleo bird, a megapode that digs big holes in the ground with its enormous feet to bury its eggs. Unfortunately, development and poaching threaten these species with extinction.

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