Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Center
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2007
1
100
141
Trip End
Ongoing
Sepilok,
Malaysia
Friday, October 5, 2007
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
We took the luxury bus from Semporna to Sandakan at 8am (4.5 hours, RM40 per person - about $11 USD). This was quite the luxury bus - equiped with cushy seats, bathroom, air-conditioning, and KARAOKE! Yes, they played every top Asian rock song on a TV screen overhead, complete with Malaysian Lyrics and little hottie Asian Girls shaking their stuff on screen! Just what you need at 8am!
After almost 5 hours, we arrived in Sepilok, a small town just outside of Sandakan that is home to the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehab Center (SORC). This center is one of only 4 in the world that takes care of Orang-utans that have been abandoned or injured
2 on platform on in background
. It was founded in 1964 and covers more than 40 square kilometers. After we checked into the Sepilok Jungle Lodge nearby (RM45 for a room - about $13 USD) we walked over to the Orang-utan Rehab Center for the 3pm feeding. They charge 30RM per person to get in and 10RM per camera. You walk along an elevated boardwalk to the viewing platform and wait for the workers to put out some food during the designated feeding times (9am and 3pm).Even though they are considered wild, SORC did have a bit of a zoo show feel to it. At 3pm the workers brought out a bunch of fruit and some milk and started to bang on the trays. Within minutes a few Orang-utans came swinging on ropes out of the jungle and climbing stairs up to the platform. They were very beautiful and curious of the people. They would stop along the way and just stare at us as we stared at them. I often thought who is here to see whom? They were very playful with each other and with some of the centers workers. We snapped pictures like crazy and the crowd oohed and awwed as they played little games with each other. We stayed and watched the Orangutans until the park closed at 4pm. Annalesa, a 7 year old female Orang-utan, seemed fascinated with the people and kept hanging around watching us. She would move around a bit and even hid in a tree but continued to watch the people watch her. She was still sitting there when we had to leave. It was fascinating to watch her watch us.
The photos can do the animals much more justice than I can with words. Please take a look at our photos. We have some funny videos as well - but it may be another coupls weeks before we can upload them.
Cheers
Frank and Kay
