And now I would like to introduce you to some of our exotic native fauna! Like most everything, we're pretty rich in variety when it comes to animals and plants as well, some could not be found anywhere else. Unfortunately, we're not very good at keeping our endangered species from becoming extinct, so I've often found some of them in zoos across the world instead. In this list I've only included animals that can only be found exclusively in Indonesia.



As indicated by its name, the Sumatran Tiger inhabits the island of Sumatra, the westernmost island of Indonesia. It is the smallest tiger of its species and currently classified as critically endangered, with the population estimated at 441 to 679 individuals. It's the only surviving member of the Sunda Islands group of tigers that included the now extinct Bali tiger and Javan tiger.

They can be found in rainforests, mountainous areas, and marshy swamps, most often near a water source.

Interesting Fact: Sumatran Tigers have webbed feet. This allows the tiger to swim easily, and they will often cross more than one river to find food!



In Malay language, "orangutan" literally translates to "man of the jungle". It's another endangered species that are only found in Asia, and there are only approximately 30,000 of them still living in the wild. Orangutan is a type of great ape that can only be found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. They are most often found in the trees and are not particularly sociable creatures. They also have opposable thumbs like humans.

Interesting Fact: Orangutans are very sophisticated creatures and have been known to use handfuls of leaves as napkins, wrapping them around their hands to protect them when they handle sharp or spiny objects, and use them as umbrellas to shade from the sun or protect from the weather.



The Komodo dragon is a giant species of lizard found exclusively in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar. It's the largest living specis of lizard, able to grow to the maximum length of 3 metres and weighing up to 135 kilograms. Their diet consists of deer, birds, and mammals, and have also been known to occasionally attack humans (although probably not to eat them).

Their natural home is among the rocks or in tropical rainforest areas. They are solitary animals and sleep in underground lizard-sized burrows during nighttime. There is around 3000-5000 komodos currently living in Komodo Island.

They are now protected within the Komodo National Park, which is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

Did You Know: Many of the stories of mythological dragons may have come from the Komodo Dragon? Their yellow tongues and foul breath gave the impression that they could breathe fire and could be the inspiration for our own stories of fire-breathing dragons.

Komodo Dragons are also cannibals. They don’t seem to be particularly picky with what they eat, and it is estimated that 10% of a Komodo Dragon’s diet consists of other dragons. They can move very quickly when they need to and are very good swimmers. They will bite their prey and then let the poisonous bacteria in their mouths take over, slowing the animal to the point that it cannot run any longer. The Komodo Dragon will track the animal, using their enhanced sense of smell and tongue, and then will eat once the animal is subdued. They will eat dead animals when they find them, keeping their islands tidy.



This bird of paradise is the national bird of New Guinea (not to be confused with Papua New Guinea, a separate country) and the picture of the bird can be found on the Indonesian coins, stamps, and even taxi cabs. Their feathers are believed to have mystical properties, and along with their beautiful plumage, they become increasingly hunted by people trading them illegally.

This bird can only be found in the island of New Guinea, the easternmost island of Indonesia. They are considered by many to be the most beautiful birds on the planet.

Interesting Fact: After trading plumes of birds of paradise with early European explorers, local tribes told them that the birds were the birds of the gods and never touched earth, feeding only on dew. This story accentuated the value of the birds for over 100 years, and the feathers were in such high demand that it almost killed off the species.



There are two types of anoa; the lowland anoa and the mountain anoa. They're a species of pygmy buffalo and the smallest of the wild cattle. They are also an endangered species that can only be found in the island of Sulawesi.



This type of rhinoceros is the only two-horned rhinoceros living in Asia. They are currently listed as critically endangered. They have been hunted to near extinction, especially for the horns which are believed to have medicinal properties and are also used for carving. Sumatran Rhinoceroses are found in tropical rainforests in very isolated areas of Indonesia. They are most active at night, feeding in the morning and the evening, and spending most of the day resting in ponds and mud. It is estimated that there are less than 300 currently living in the wild.

The Sumatran Rhinoceros is distinctive in that they are covered with hair, unlike other members of the species. Their hair is long, shaggy, and reddish-brown with the hide underneath being a grayish color and plated like armor. Both sexes have two horns growing out from their noses, and the front horn is noticeably larger than the back horn.



Their name literally means "pig-deer". Because of their odd appearance, the Babirusa has been the subject of many mystical stories and legends, including one that states that they hang from trees at night by their tusks. There is about 4000 of them currently living in the wild.

They can be found in the isolated Indonesian islands of Sula, Sulawesi, and Togian, and they also can be found in the Moluccas on the Buru Island. The Babirusa, at least physically, most closely resembles a pig. They have rough, wrinkled skin that is brown or dark gray in color with scattered, spiny yellowish hairs. Unlike a common pig, however, they have fairly long, thin legs. Their most distinguishing features, however, are the tusks. These grow from the snout area, but, unlike traditional tusks, they grow through the skin of the snout from the mouth, curving backwards over the eyes.

Interesting Fact: Indonesian people have based masks on the Babirusa’s appearance and have been known to give a dead Babirusa as a gift.

Source: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

135 kilos=almost 300 pounds dang. There was a komodo dragon at a childhood zoo I used to visit-and they did not teach us everything that they eat. I'd remember something like cannibalism lol. How long do they normally live?

Thank you for this post, Sailor Mercury.  I had only heard of the first three of the animals you talked about.  So it was great to get some information on the other four!

Cosmos-Hime wrote:

135 kilos=almost 300 pounds dang. There was a komodo dragon at a childhood zoo I used to visit-and they did not teach us everything that they eat. I'd remember something like cannibalism lol. How long do they normally live?

They can live up to 30, and sometimes 50 years ^^

Love it <3 Tiger, dragon and bird of paradise are my faves.

This is really interesting!! And that bird is gorgeous XD

I had no idea orangutans were from Indonesia. Nor did I have any idea Komodo dragons were cannibalistic. Very interesting! I will admit the bird of paradise is my favorite.

Tigers! I love big cats so much. Komodos are cool, too! And I've seen babirusas on Animal Planet; they're really strange!

Question: Are there any other exclusively Indonesian big cats that you know of?

Hmm, not that I know of, but I may have to do more research ^^

This was super interesting! That bird is gorgeous!

Bubbles have you gone to try to find a tiger of your own? XD

And I have no idea but I always thought komodo dragons came from some other island off South America.... I must have always misremembered from when I learned about them. Komodo dragons are the coolest lizards even though they are pretty deadly.

I prefer small cats, thank you

Do not steal our awesome komodo dragons xD

But i want to be mother of dragons!!