The trees reach up to greet you as you fly into the Long Lellang settlement in the upper reaches of the Baram River in central Borneo, just a few degrees north of the equator.

Giant 60 metres dipterocarps, perhaps 300 years old, tower above the broad canopy which stands 40 metres above the ground.

In the foothills beyond the airstrip, locals say a black clouded leopard stalks its prey, one of many rare creatures still roaming the jungle.

The only way into, or out of this settlement is by air, long-boat, or on foot through the mountains.

A few cars lie trapped in the village, a legacy of a now abandoned logging road that once cut into the region.