Orangutans and package tourists

September 19th, 2002 at 12:00am

So I finally got to see the orangutans. Today I spent the entire day in the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, from 8:30am to 4pm. The center is only one of five orangutan rehabilitation centers in the world and helps to raise orphaned orangutans whose mothers were killed or orangutans confiscated as pets or ones that found their way out of the wild and onto one of the many palm oil plantations in Sabah.

The orangutan is an endangered species, now only seen in the wild on the island of Borneo (here) and in Sumatra, Indonesia. There only an estimated 10,000 - 30,000 left in the wild. And they are so damn cute!

They have 2 feedings/day at the center, one in the morning and one in the afternoon and I went to both. In between I went on a hike through the rainforest out to a bird tower and watering hole which took about 2 hours round-trip (note: got 5 leeches, one on my arm and 4 on my legs).

Didn’t see any orangutans on the walk, but there were quite a few just wandering about and climbing through the trees around the visitor’s center. The goal of the center is to eventually get all the orangutans back into the wild so you’re not allowed to touch them or feed them or have your picture taken with them which I think is pretty cool.

I also watched a video they had on the center and how they operate the rescues. It really is amazing how human their expressions and gestures are. They way they look at you it’s like they’re thinking you’re a bald version of them and you’re thinking they’re a hairy version of you. I was quite happy to pay the $10 admission fee knowing that the money is going to protect them, a good cause for sure.

Lots of package tourists were there in the morning - everyone fresh off the buses with their white socks, convertible pants/shorts, brand new video cameras, sun hats, white skin, brand new hiking boots, fresh hair cuts, fannypacks, backpacks, and camera bags. I couldn’t hep but wonder if anyone else there had been travelling now for over 11 months like me. Not to say they are better or worse, just very, very different. I had almost as much fun watching them as I did watching the orangutans.

Now that my mission here is complete, I’ll be off tomorrow to Mount Kinabalu National Park for some hiking and quality nature time.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: I’ve added pictures again, this time from 07.29.02 to 09.18.02. To view, please click on the’journal’ link above, then hit’last’ to go to most recent record, and then choose any entry to view that has a camera icon next to it. Thanks!

Help! Im being attacked by Package Tourists!

Ho hum, just another day at the office

Whatchyou talkin bout Willis?

Entry Filed under: Malaysia, Borneo