Some call them "Urangutans". Some call them "monkeys".
In fact, this fabulous creature's real name is "Oran Utan", meaning "Man of the Forest". And they are not "monkeys" but apes, with 97% genetic similarities to humans.
Well, one of the few places on Earth to amire the Orang Utans is Borneo. There are a few reserves on our island but by far the most famous is Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center.
Visitors are welcome every morning and late afternoon to witness the feeding of the hairy patrons of this park. After a 15 minutes walk through the lush tropical rainforest, you will arrive at the feeding platform. The Orang Utans come at very precise hours; you can set your watch after them. You can see a few of them or a dozen of them, depending on how hungy you are. If you're a bit lucky, you can see Orang Utan mothers carrying their babys and you'll be amazed to see that, no matter how hungry or distrated a mom can be, she never let go her offspring.
Want to learn more? After feeding, we can go visit the Learning Center, set at the edge of the forest. Here you can check the history of every guest of the Rehabilitation Center, ask more questions, buy books, photos and videos about this fascinating apes.
Most of the Orang Utans here have been found and rescued after their parents had been shot by illegal hunters. The babies have been brought here to be taken care of until they're strong enough to make a living in the forest by themselves. As some of the orphans can take a few years to build up their survival skills, the rangers and the apes get into a very close, affectionate relationship, which causes a lot of tears when the ape is released in the wild.
Besides the Orang Utans, there is a funny, nasty and noisy colony of Macaques in Sepilok. They're not as fascinating as the great apes, but they add color to the place. Just don't leave your bag unattended: they might rob you of any snacks or sweets you might be carrying with you :-)
The entry ticket for the Sepilok Rehabilitation Center costs about 5 US Dollars and can be purchaes at the entrance in the park.
Don't forget to bring a bottle of water, a hat, mosquito repellant and a camera with zoom lenses.
For enquiries or bookings, contact me at joe@borneojoe.my
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