You’ve probably seen the memes. A reddish-orange primate with a nose so bulbous and hanging that it looks like a kitchen gadget gone wrong. Honestly, the first time I saw a monkey with a long face—specifically the Proboscis monkey—I thought it was some kind of elaborate practical joke by evolution. But it isn't. These creatures are real, they’re loud, and they’re currently hanging on by a thread in the shrinking jungles of Borneo.
People often search for "monkey with a long face" because they can't quite remember the name Nasalis larvatus. It's a mouthful. Most just call them Proboscis monkeys. But that face? It’s a specialized tool. It isn't just for show.
What’s Actually Going on With That Nose?
Let’s get the obvious thing out of the way. The nose is everything. In the world of the Proboscis monkey, size truly does matter, but specifically for the males. You’ll notice the females have much smaller, upturned noses—kinda cute, actually. The males, though, grow these massive, pendulous fleshy appendages that can hang down past their mouths. Sometimes they even have to push their nose out of the way just to eat.
Why? It’s basically a biological megaphone.
Researchers like Dr. Ikki Matsuda from Chubu University have spent years tracking these guys. They found a direct correlation between nose size and harem size. A bigger nose creates a deeper, more resonant honking sound. When a male warns off a rival or calls to his group, that long face acts as a resonance chamber. It makes him sound bigger and tougher than he might actually be. It’s the primate version of a sub-woofer. If you’re a female Proboscis monkey, that deep honk signals health, strength, and "good genes."
It’s weirdly beautiful in a bizarre way. Nature doesn't waste energy on "ugly" for no reason.
They Are the Olympians of the Mangrove
If you ever find yourself in the Kinabatangan River region of Sabah, watch the water. Most monkeys hate getting wet. Not this monkey with a long face. They are arguably the best swimmers in the primate world.
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They have webbed feet. Seriously.
Evolution gave them partial webbing between their toes to help them paddle through crocodile-infested waters. They’ve been spotted swimming across wide rivers and even out into the ocean. They dive from heights of 50 feet into the water just to get to a better feeding ground or to escape a clouded leopard. They hit the water with a belly flop that sounds like a gunshot. It’s chaotic and impressive.
They also have these massive, bloated stomachs. They aren't fat; they’re specialized. Like cows, they have complex, multi-chambered stomachs filled with symbiotic bacteria. This allows them to digest tough, fibrous mangrove leaves and unripened fruit. Most other monkeys would get sick eating what they eat. But there’s a catch: they can’t eat ripe fruit. The sugar ferments too fast in those big bellies, causing rapid bloating that can literally be fatal. Imagine dying because you ate a perfectly sweet mango. It’s a tough trade-off.
Social Drama in the Canopy
Life in the Borneo jungle is basically a soap opera. These monkeys live in two types of groups. You have the "harem" groups, where one dominant male with a massive nose hangs out with a bunch of females and their kids. Then you have the "bachelor pads."
The bachelor groups are full of young males waiting for their chance to kick an older guy out of his spot. It’s high-tension. You’ll see them practicing their honks and displays. Sometimes, these groups actually hang out together near the river at night for safety. It’s like a temporary truce at the watering hole.
But they are shy. Unlike the macaques you see stealing bags from tourists in Bali, the monkey with a long face wants nothing to do with you. They stay high in the trees. If they see a boat coming too close, they crash through the branches to hide. This shyness makes them incredibly difficult to study, which is why we’re still learning about their social hierarchies.
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The Real Threat Nobody Talks About
We can joke about the nose all day, but the reality is pretty dark. These monkeys are endemic to Borneo. They don't live anywhere else on Earth. Not in Africa, not in South America. Just this one island.
As palm oil plantations expand, the peat swamp forests vanish. When the forest is fragmented, these monkeys get stuck. They can’t just walk across a massive clearing to find a new home—they are vulnerable on the ground. Their population has dropped by over 50% in the last 40 years. They are currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
It’s not just habitat loss. Sometimes they are hunted. Even though they are protected by law in Malaysia and Indonesia, enforcement in deep jungle areas is... well, it’s complicated. Local conservationists, like those at the Danau Girang Field Centre, are working tirelessly to map their corridors, but they are fighting an uphill battle against global demand for cheap oil and timber.
Common Misconceptions About the "Long Face"
- "They are related to baboons." No. People see the long snout of a baboon and think they’re the same. Baboons have bony muzzles. The Proboscis monkey has a fleshy nose. They are colobine monkeys, more closely related to langurs.
- "The nose is for breathing underwater." I’ve heard this one a lot. It’s a myth. It’s purely for vocal resonance and sexual selection. It’s not a snorkel.
- "They are aggressive." They look grumpy, sure. But they are actually quite peaceful compared to chimps or macaques. Their "fights" are mostly noise and posturing.
How to Actually See One Safely
If you want to see a monkey with a long face in the wild, you have to do it right. Don't go to a "zoo" where they are kept in small cages; they don't survive well in captivity because their diet is so specific.
Instead, head to the Klias Wetland or the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia. Bako National Park in Sarawak is another goldmine.
Go at dusk. That’s when they congregate by the riverbanks to find trees to sleep in. The reflection of the orange sun on their orange fur is something you won't forget. Use a binocular. Don’t ask your boat driver to get closer. If they look stressed, they might jump into the water, which puts them at risk of crocodile attacks. Respect the "honk."
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Practical Conservation Steps
If you’re moved by the plight of this bizarrely beautiful animal, don't just post a photo. Action matters.
Check your labels. Look for the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) seal on your snacks and soaps. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start in slowing down the destruction of Borneo's heartland.
Support local eco-tourism. When you pay for a guided river tour in a place like Sukau, your money goes directly into a local economy that now values the monkeys being alive and in the trees rather than the land being cleared for crops. It turns the local community into the frontline of defense.
Donate to the source. Organizations like the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Foundation or the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have specific projects dedicated to reforestation in mangrove areas. These corridors are the only thing keeping the Proboscis monkey from local extinction.
The monkey with a long face is a reminder that nature has a sense of humor and a deep sense of purpose. Every weird feature—the nose, the belly, the webbed feet—is a survival strategy. It’s a masterpiece of adaptation that we can’t afford to lose just because its habitat is in the way of a profit margin.