Bakut Island

Bakut Island is a small forested river island in the Barito River, Barito Kuala Regency, South Kalimantan, located directly beneath the Barito Bridge. Designated as a nature reserve, it is notable as a protected habitat for the proboscis monkey (bekantan), the endemic primate and mascot of South Kalimantan. The island features dense mangrove and lowland forest, is uninhabited, and is visited by boat for wildlife observation and views of the bridge and river ecosystem.

Visitors can expect a small, uninhabited river island covered in dense mangrove and lowland forest beneath the Barito Bridge. Access is only by chartered boat (klotok) from Banjarmasin or the Barito Kuala riverbank. There are no developed trails or buildings; viewing is primarily from the boat or the island edge. Visitors can observe proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, and various bird species in their natural habitat, with views of the Barito River and the bridge structure.

Bakut Island was designated as a nature reserve (Cagar Alam Pulau Bakut) for the conservation of the proboscis monkey and its mangrove habitat. Its profile increased after the construction of the Barito Bridge (Jembatan Barito), completed in 1997, which passes directly over the island connecting South and Central Kalimantan.

The island is significant as a conservation site for the proboscis monkey (bekantan), which is the faunal mascot of South Kalimantan Province and an important symbol of Borneo's biodiversity and local identity