(AFP) Skeletal remains believed to be of a German research student who disappeared in a Sabah monkey sanctuary in August have been recovered, authorities said today.

"The skeleton and several items were found on Saturday and the remains have been sent for a post-mortem for identification and possible cause of death," Suhaimi Mohamad Ali, Sandakan district police chief told AFP .

"But we cannot comment on the identity or cause of death yet. We will wait for the results of the post-mortem which will be released to us on Thursday," Suhaimi said.

Police and rescue workers had spent 50 days combing the swampy conservation park some 30 kilometres from Sandakan after Arne Lennart Cornelius was reported missing.

The remains were sent to a district hospital for a post mortem which was scheduled to begin today, hospital authorities said.

Belongings found

Rescue workers also recovered several items believed to belong to Cornelius - inculding a pair of binoculars, a black baseball cap, a pair of shorts and trekking boots - near the skeletal remains which were found some three kilometres from the sanctuary headquarters.

Cornelius, 21, of Bremen, was last seen entering the 300-hectare Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary on August 30.

He arrived in Malaysia on August 2 and had been researching proboscis monkeys in the private sanctuary.

Cornelius' disappearance has been laced with speculation that he was murdered after claims by several villagers that his guide, Joseph Mohamad Faisal, also 21, was seen emerging from the jungle.