With a total length of 560 kilometers the Sungai Kinabatangan river in Sabah is the second longest river in Malaysia, and flows from the mountains of southwest Sabah the Sulu Sea, east of Sandakan. While the upstream part of the river has been heavily logged, the dual threats of piracy and flooding have kept its lower reaches largely free of development and as a consequence the lower Kinabatangan river area is full of wildlife. It is the largest forested plain in Malaysia and was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1999. The area where wildlife is most easily viewed is close to the village of Sukau, 134 km from Sandakan.