Tangkoko National Park Holidays

If Tangkoko does have worldwide fame, it is due to the recent case of the ‘monkey selfie’. The monkey concerned (on whose behalf PETA fought a notorious legal case) was, in fact, a black crested macaque. The park is home to around 1,000 of these macaques. They are a critically endangered species, but in this park, a couple of the bands are very habituated to humans and as shown by the selfie, are an extremely friendly species (though the grin is a sign of aggression in a macaque…!)

Another principle star of this show is the tiny gremlin-like tarsier, a tiny monkey species that come out hunting in the night and live in the branches of particular trees. This and their regular time-keeping habits make them relatively easy to spot with a good guide and the right timing, despite their tiny size.

Finally, and far more elusively, the couscous bear (which is not a bear, but a marsupial) can be seen high in the branches of the high jungle trees. It is a highly significant animal, representing as they do, the Australasian side of the famous ‘Wallace’ line. Lastly, there are hornbills with their huge flapping wings and many other bird species, small mammals and insect life in this lush and rich forest reserve.