Mydaus javanensis
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The Sunda stink badger (Mydaus javanensis), also called the Javan stink badger, teledu, Malay stink badger, Malay badger, Indonesian stink badger and Sunda skunk, is a mammal native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Despite the common name, stink badgers are not closely related to true badgers, and are, instead, Old World relatives of the skunks. Coincidentally, its local name sigung in Sundanese is a false cognate to skunk which is of Algonquian origin.
Sunda stink badgers have a similar body shape to badgers, but are significantly smaller, being 37 to 52 cm (15 to 20 in) in total length, and weighing from 1.3 to 3.6 kg (2.9 to 7.9 lb). Their fur is coarse, and black or very dark brown over most of the body, with a white stripe running from the top of the head to the tail. The tail is short, measuring about 3.6 cm (1.4 in), and is covered in pure white fur. The width of the stripe varies considerably between individuals, but is usually narrow, and may be discontinuous. As the name indicates, stink badgers have an anal scent gland that secretes a foul-smelling substance, which the animal can spray up to 15 cm (5.9 in). Females have six teats. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sunda Stink-badger sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 26 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Sunda Stink-badger in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in January, April–July and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sunda Stink-badger sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Sunda Stink-badger sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (Malaysia, about 10%).
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Sunda Stink-badger that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Malay Civet (about 40%), Small-toothed Palm Civet (about 40%) and Common Palm Civet (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sunda Stink-badger is recorded against all the mammals logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
