The great ape swindle
Trip Start
Sep 18, 2006
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69
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Trip End
Mar 19, 2008
Anyone planning a trip to Borneo at some point imagines themself caressing baby orang utans, and so the world famous Sepilok Rehabilitaion Centre for orangs rescued from captivity is widely considered a must-do part of any itinerary. The reality is one of the biggest anti-climaxes I've ever experienced. All you get to see (along with a crowd of about 10,000 other people all jostling for position) is feeding time for those beasts that have been released into the nearby jungle and either can't be bothered to feed themselves or haven't fully adapted to life on the outside. They come here every day to a raised platform in the trees, stay about 15 minutes to get their fill and once sated slope off allowing a pack of macaques to descend upon their leftovers. This is good to see, but I'd have liked a little more for my money, such as being able to see more of the centre - certainly when its profiled on TV the presenters seem to get a much more in-depth experience. I did try to go for a walk in the forest but hadn't countered for the macaques - these creatures are nasty little bastards and had laid claim to the pathway, sabotaging my walk by chasing me back after I'd gone about 100 yards.
