About Penang
Penang (Pulau Pinang) is an island on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, connected to the mainland by two road bridges. It has a tropical climate, meaning that it is hot and humid all year round. Penang is mostly renowned for its cultural and historical attractions (particularly Georgetown), but it also possesses a rich natural heritage too.
The jewel in Penang's crown from a nature perspective is Penang National Park. It is also referred to as 'taman negara' which is Malay for national park, though it is not to be confused with the more famous taman negara in Pahang state. Penang National Park is situated in the North-West corner of the island and it is where much of the wildlife can be found. From the park headquarters, there are 2 popular trails, one following the Northern coast, leading to the locally well-known 'Monkey Beach' (Teluk Duyung). The other, and my personal favourite is the trail that leads West to 'Turtle Beach' (Pantai Kerachut). Other good places to see animals include the Botanical Gardens and Penang Hill. You are almost guaranteed to see monkeys at the Botanical Gardens! Despite the fact that the island is quite developed, animals such as birds can be seen (or heard) across the island, even in urban areas. Balik Pulau, where I used to live, is an excellent place to view smaller varieties of wildlife, such as birds and butterflies. The orchard landscape allows for some good viewing opportunities.
The jewel in Penang's crown from a nature perspective is Penang National Park. It is also referred to as 'taman negara' which is Malay for national park, though it is not to be confused with the more famous taman negara in Pahang state. Penang National Park is situated in the North-West corner of the island and it is where much of the wildlife can be found. From the park headquarters, there are 2 popular trails, one following the Northern coast, leading to the locally well-known 'Monkey Beach' (Teluk Duyung). The other, and my personal favourite is the trail that leads West to 'Turtle Beach' (Pantai Kerachut). Other good places to see animals include the Botanical Gardens and Penang Hill. You are almost guaranteed to see monkeys at the Botanical Gardens! Despite the fact that the island is quite developed, animals such as birds can be seen (or heard) across the island, even in urban areas. Balik Pulau, where I used to live, is an excellent place to view smaller varieties of wildlife, such as birds and butterflies. The orchard landscape allows for some good viewing opportunities.
About Wild Penang
In August 2015, I moved from Penang to Nepal. From 2014-2015 I used this website as an attempt to document, showcase and celebrate the animal biodiversity of the island. When I lived there I found myself frequently surprised that many people on the island were unaware of the wildlife that surrounds them. I also hope that this site might raise people's awareness of it before it is lost in the name of 'development'.
I have had two articles and some photos published in Malaysian Naturalist magazine, the quarterly publication of the Malaysian Nature Society:
Backhouse, R. (2015) Collecting nature without harming it, Malaysian Naturalist, January, pp. 44-45.
Backhouse, R. (2015) Birds of Penang, Malaysian Naturalist, March, pp. 12-14.
I have had two articles and some photos published in Malaysian Naturalist magazine, the quarterly publication of the Malaysian Nature Society:
Backhouse, R. (2015) Collecting nature without harming it, Malaysian Naturalist, January, pp. 44-45.
Backhouse, R. (2015) Birds of Penang, Malaysian Naturalist, March, pp. 12-14.
About my photography
The photos on this site are mainly of a 'scientific' style - if I may be so pretentious - i.e. they are largely intended to help with the identification of animals spotted in the field. Some of the more recent photos have had slightly more thought gone into them in terms of editing and composition etc., but I do not claim or pretend to be a expert photographer - just someone with an interest in nature.
When I first arrived in Penang in August 2013 I had no experience of photography and I only had a digital compact camera (a Fujifilm F100). This presented obvious limitations for wildlife photography - though some of the photos on the site were taken with it! As my interest in wildlife photography has grown, I have invested in better equipment though this has all happened fairly recently. I bought a Nikon D5200 DSLR in about October 2013 and most of the photos on the site were taken using this. I used the kit lens (18-55mm) for close-up photos and a 55-300mm telephoto lens for anything else. In February 2015 I upgraded to a Nikon D7100 body a, Tamron 90mm macro lens and a Sigma 150-500mm telephoto lens which is what I am currently using.
When I first arrived in Penang in August 2013 I had no experience of photography and I only had a digital compact camera (a Fujifilm F100). This presented obvious limitations for wildlife photography - though some of the photos on the site were taken with it! As my interest in wildlife photography has grown, I have invested in better equipment though this has all happened fairly recently. I bought a Nikon D5200 DSLR in about October 2013 and most of the photos on the site were taken using this. I used the kit lens (18-55mm) for close-up photos and a 55-300mm telephoto lens for anything else. In February 2015 I upgraded to a Nikon D7100 body a, Tamron 90mm macro lens and a Sigma 150-500mm telephoto lens which is what I am currently using.
About me
Originally from Chester in the UK, I arrived in Penang in August 2013 to teach Biology at an international school there. I studied at the University of Sheffield where I completed a degree in Biology and also did my initial teacher training. I taught in England for 6 years before making the move to Malaysia. At work I also co-ordinated the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award which saw me organising expeditions and training for my students. Outside of my work I also enjoyed SCUBA diving, though this unfortunately isn't an option in Penang! Wildlife photography has now taken over as my main pastime. I now live in Kathmandu, Nepal where I teach Biology at another international school. I have a new website dedicated to Nepal's wildife and I have called it (surprisingly!) - Wild Nepal - wildnepal.weebly.com