Gomantong

Gomantong

Pic: Light illuminating the interior of Gomantong Cave, famed for it's swallow which produces bird's nest from saliva and in turn, harvested to be sold to medicinal shops as a herbal ingredient. Sandakan, Sabah, 2003.

Gomantong Cave is located in a Sabah Park forest reserve in the district of Sandakan. Though areas around the reserve are converted for oil palm plantations, the reserve system forms a protected area for wildlife, especially for orang utans of which are plentiful at the adjacent Sepilok Sanctuary Forest Reserve. Gomantong Cave is a limestone depression where access is in the form of wooden walkways circuiting the interior. Multiple openings in the roof provide some form of lighting where one is liable to spot the millions of cockroaches clinging to the walls! Bats also are fond of calling the place home and guano if found in layers on the cave floor. The most famous residents here though are none other than swallows, which seasonally nest here. Locals inhabiting the nearby area are given annual licenses to collect the discarded nests during specific seasons and these are highly marketable and beings huge profits.