7 Animals That Sum up Bali
When you think of Bali, you probably imagine beaches, ricefields, and streets full of scooters.
But do you know what animals inhabit the scenery you’re picturing?
On top of the Indonesian temples, monkeys dwell, and in the clear blue water, a lost crocodile might roam.
It’s fascinating what an animal population can tell you about a country’s culture. Because animals can’t do that literally, this post will give you a speedy introduction to the daily lives of some Balinese wildlife.
And since Bahasa Indonesia (= ‘Indonesian’) is a beautiful but accessible language, you can use their local names, mentioned in this post, on your next trip to paradise!
1. Sapi Plow the Rice Fields
In Bali, most sapi (= ‘cows’) look alike. The island is home to the Bali cow, a species that is world-famous for its immunity to diseases that other cows have no defense for. The typical Balinese cow is brown and roams around freely wherever there’s grass because families usually only have a few of them.
In most cases, cows are used to plow rice fields. Since a lot of Balinese families are self-sustainable, a cow is cheaper than an automatic plow.
Eating cow is uncommon with Balinese Hindus since they believe the animals are sacred. The meat industry caters mostly to tourists.
Try to refrain from eating beef, though. Many locals don’t, and the Balinese cow slaughter is — as most slaughterhouse killings are — inhumane.
There’s plenty of other excellent food to try out. If you’d like to know more about the typical delicacies Bali has to offer, check out this post.
2. There’s Tokek Fighting on Your Balcony
You’ll see these little pale guys everywhere. But mostly on the ceiling of your balcony or in your outside shower.
At night, tokek (= ‘house geckoes’) love to catch little insects that are drawn to the lights. If your accommodation’s windows aren’t covered by glass, you’ll probably see them inside as well. The geckos don’t like air conditioning, though.
The tiny visitors make a lot of noise when they’re chasing each other. When they’re on the ceiling, you may fear that they will fall on top of you, but they never do.
Although the geckoes are funny roommates, you might want to watch out for the little droppings you’ll find on your outside furniture.
3. Kucing Have No Tails
A widespread myth about Balinese kucing (= ‘cats’) is that angry housewives cut off their tail.
Most cats in Bali roam free, as in so many parts of the world. But you’ll notice something strange about them. Nearly all of them are missing (at least a part of) their tail.
It has nothing to do with tail-cutting but comes from a genetic trait common in many parts of Asia, including China and Japan. Although you might not expect it, being tailless does not affect a cat’s balance. They’re as agile as their tailed brothers and sisters.
In a post in the Japan Times, journalist Alice Gordenker mentions a fitting Japanese (sorry, no Indonesian) expression about cats without tails: “Attemo nakutemo neko no shippo.” It means ‘Have or have not a cat’s tail’, and is used to describe something that’s not important to have. Beautiful!
4. Don’t Smile at the Monyet
The most famous place to see monyet (= ‘monkeys’) in Bali is probably the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, where the animals steal tourists’ personal belongings and eat flower offerings daily.
Many tourists tend to feed the crab-eating macaques (that really is their official name) bananas that they buy from wandering sellers. If you love animals and respect their natural habitat, though, don’t be tempted to fill them with food for a picture. It only makes the monkeys aggressive, and they might steal your sunglasses or phone!
Another thing that makes the monkeys angry is your smile. Showing teeth makes them think you want to fight them. So don’t show them your teeth!
Balinese monkeys can also give you rabies. If you didn’t get your shots, keep your distance from these cheeky four-leggers.
The monkeys are cute to watch, though. An Indonesian portmanteau that uses the primate is cinta monyet (= literally ‘monkey love’). It means ‘puppy love’, an adolescent crush.
Other island spots the monkeys inhabit (and for which the same monkey-safe advice goes) are Pura Uluwatu (= ‘Uluwatu Temple’) and Sangeh Monkey Forest. Uluwatu is famous for its sunset, but large packs of dogs are known to roam the area after dark, so if that sounds scary, don’t stay too long.
And if you were expecting to see orangutans in Bali, unfortunately, they’re native to other Indonesian islands like Borneo and Sumatra.
But the origin of the ape’s name is worth mentioning. Orang means ‘man’ and hutan ‘forest’. They’re the men of the forest.
5. Check Your Toilet for Ular
Do you have a snake phobia?
Then you can relax while snorkeling, right? Oops.
Bali and neighboring island Java are similar when it comes to flora and fauna. Together, the islands contain 87 species of terrestrial and freshwater ular (= ‘snakes’ or ‘lipi’ in Balinese), of which only 5% is endemic to Bali.
30% of snakes in and around Bali are said to be poisonous, but if you don’t count the 18 ular laut (= ‘sea snakes’, as seen in the picture above) that roam the island’s surrounding water, that number drops drastically.
Luckily, reports between divers, swimmers or snorkelers, and sea snakes are rare. What you should be wary of are the cobras and other types of snakes lurking in residential areas. Some of them crawl in open spaces, while others lurk inside of toilets.
You can easily prevent an encounter in your holiday villa, though. The Jakarta Post gives as a tip: “Keep your environment clean.” That means getting rid of any stuff that’s piling up in corners, a favorite hideout of snakes.
Another thing that might help is filling your house with actual lemongrass or just the smell of it because snakes hate that. A popular belief is that snakes hate salt, but the Indonesian newspaper claims that’s just a myth.
Also, keep your toilet lid closed and always check under the seat before you sit down.
6. Buaya Muara Attacks Are on the Rise
You might think crocodiles live in rivers or lakes. Or that they only live in the Nile or Australia. You’re wrong.
Buaya muara (= ‘saltwater crocodiles’) love that sweet spot where freshwater runs into the ocean: estuaries. It’s possible to see them in open water as well since they can travel great distances.
Although people don’t encounter them often, Balinese beaches are part of the crocs’ distribution area. According to nature organization IUCN’s Red List of threatened species, the crocodile populations in Indonesia are secure and their range extensive.
Larger sized crocodiles are even on the rise in Indonesia and neighboring countries. Attacks happen, but luckily nearly never in Bali. In East Timor, on the other hand, the fatality risk by crocodile attacks is ten times greater than malaria!
Despite humans killing crocodiles because they pose a threat, there’s plenty of Indonesian islands where the animals are revered. And there are a couple of creative portmanteaus that use the crocodile.
- An untrustworthy person is mulut buaya (= ‘crocodile mouth’) because he inflicts (emotional) wounds.
- Lidah buaya (= ‘crocodile’s tongue’) is the Indonesian name for aloe vera. The plant’s gel is used in shampoo and cosmetics, as you can see in this old ad. And if you wonder why the ad spells it boeaja, check out this post.
7. Rusa Cross the Ocean
A rusa (= ‘deer’) is probably the last animal you’d expect on a tropical island. But Menjangan island, a nearly uninhabited part of West Bali National Park, has plenty of them.
You’ve probably heard of the Nusas (nusa meaning ‘island’) surrounding Bali. Nusa Penida, Ceningan, and Lembongan are easily accessible from the main island by boat and offer stunning nature. But Menjangan island is less known and more adventurous!
The island gets its name from the endemic Javan rusa, or ‘menjangan’ as they’re called in Javanese, the local language of Java. They’re one of the three deer that naturally live on Bali and Java. Fishers revere the menjangan because of their amazing ability to swim between the island and Bali.
Would you like to see them for yourself?
If you want to visit ‘deer island’, you’ll need a permit and an official guide. But it’s worth it.
The island is considered one of the best snorkeling and scuba diving spots around Bali and Java because of its calm currents and well-preserved reef. Aside from all the underwater fauna and flora, there’s a shipwreck that’s only accessible for experienced divers.
Menjangan island is not just suitable for deer spotting or snorkeling. It’s also a pilgrimage destination. There are seven Hindu temples, each worshipping a different god or goddess.
Semut in Your Nasi Goreng
Last but not least common in Bali, are the insects, of which the jangkrik (= ‘cricket’) is definitely the one with the coolest name.
But if you’re worried about all the laba-laba (= ‘spiders’) that you’ll find in your hotel room, don’t be. Spiders aren’t familiar sights in Bali.
A vivid red creature that you’ll see flying around the swimming pool is the capung (= ‘dragonfly’). And make sure to wear repellent at night to guard you against malaria- or dengue-carrying nyamuk (= ‘mosquitos’). Although those diseases are probably the most dangerous things that could happen to you in Bali, the risk of malaria is low.
Another insect you’ll need to watch out for is the occasional semut (= ‘ant’) that got fried along with your nasi goreng (= ‘fried rice’). And that will do no more harm than give you some extra protein.
Symbols of a Paradise
From the smallest geckos and insects to the occasional big crocodiles, Bali’s home to many fascinating animals. Some that you better leave alone, like snakes and monkeys, some that will just walk among you, like cats and cows, and others that might even swim next to you, like deer. What they all have in common is that they are the symbols of a relaxed and tropical paradise.
You might’ve noticed that this post didn’t mention any animal cruelty. That’s because this one focuses on how to avoid tourist traps that harm some of Bali’s animal population.
Can you think of any other typical Balinese animals I didn’t mention in my posts? Let me know, and I might add your contribution to one of my next ones!
If you’d like to learn more about Bali or practice your Indonesian, check out these posts.
- Bali’s Dark Side Explained With 7 Animals
- Balinese Hinduism Explained
- What the Indonesian Language Can Tell You About Bali
- What These Foods Can Tell You About Bali
- How the Dutch Language Influenced Bali
- What Your Body Can Teach You About Bali
Sources
Torchia C. and Djuhari L., Indonesian Slang: Colloquial Indonesian at Work. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2011.
Whitten, A.J. and Soeriaatmadja, R.E., Ecology of Bali & Java. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2013.
