Life of the Penan in Borneo

My days were filled with walks through the rainforest, exploring impressive caves, and watching billions of bats fly out at night at Mulu National Park in Borneo, Malaysia.

One of the many caves in Mulu National Park

Over 3 billion bats fly out of the cave at night

While there I also had the opportunity to visit a Penan village along the river.

Penan village along the Mulu River

The Penan are some of the last nomadic hunter-gatherers living in the world. Today they are about 10,000 Penan in Borneo but less than 300 Penan still lead a completely nomadic life in the forest. Those that still live this lifestyle survive by hunting and gathering. They don’t practice agriculture or raise animals for food and have no permanent settlements. They forage for rattan, medicinal plants, fruits, and sago palm - a starchy staple. Wild game is hunted with blowpipes and poison darts. And they believe in never taking more than necessary.

Local Penan woman with traditional "stretched" earlobes

About a week earlier on my trek in Bario we came across several abandoned Penan settlements, basically shelters made of bamboo and palm fronds. Every month or so when the Penan exhaust all the wild game, jungle plants and fruits they move to a new location in the forest and build new shelters. The old settlements are left to return to the jungle. With very few possessions, they are able to carry everything in simple “backpacks” made from rattan from palm leaves.

The forest is essential to the Penan, providing them with everything they need to survive. Sadly with all the logging operations encroaching on their land, there is less food for them and many Penan have had to give up their nomadic lifestyle and settle into government provided housing in order to survive.

To see all the pictures click here:  Mulu National Park