BBC Wildlife UK Presenter
by May Salitah
It’s not everyday that you get meet and hang out with the famous BBC Wildlife UK Presenter, Kate Humble in person! Sabah Tourism and Malaysia Airlines jointly-hosted Humble on a 9-day wildlife adventure tour to Sandakan, Kinabatangan, and Deramakot last month. This is Humble’s first trip to Sabah and Malaysia. Within 24 hours, Kate was already blown away by Sandakan’s wildlife charm.
We were able to spend some time with Humble in Sepilok Nature Resort on the first night of her adventure. “This place (Sepilok) is extraordinarily well set-up for travelers like me. To be able to see 6-7 species of mammals within the hour half during the night walk at Rainforest Discovery Centre is really special!” she said.
“I love my job and the fact that I get to travel to see new things and experience new environments and cultures. I grew up on a farm and when I was a kid, I really wanted to join the circus because I loved horses.” She added that her passion for being a wildlife TV presenter started way back when she was filming her first live gig for the BBC’s Natural History Unit.
“We were filming a deep sea programme in the Cayman Islands. We went down in a submarine to film the six-gilled shark. It lives at 300 metres and below and is very rarely seen. It finally appeared on our second descent. That shark is the reason I have this career,” she said.
Apart from wildlife, Humble also loves spending time with the locals, saying that if she could have more time in Sandakan, she would love to try going on a public transport or go to the market. “It’s a shame if you travel all the way to a place with various cultures, but you have no access to a local experience. It is also important to have a good guide because guides can either make or break for a good holiday,” she said, adding that she wouldn’t have spotted 6-7 species of mammals within the hour half during the night walk (just now) at Rainforest Discovery Centre without her guide.
The highlight of the wildlife expedition is Humble’s mission to see and learn about the elusive clouded leopard which can only be found deep in the rainforests of Sabah.
Humble’s trip to Sabah was a special initiative by travel consultants Wildlife Worldwide UK to feature Sabah as an off-the-beaten wildlife expedition package for UK travelers. The package is expected to take off later this year.
It was truly a humbling experience to meet you, Kate Humble.
