Borneo Sepilok Orangutans

Borneo Sepilok Orangutan Centre ~ Entrance to wildlife viewing

The sign greets visitors at the foot of the drive leading up to the thatched roof building, where a half-hour video explaining the wildlife and the work done here is shown before the walk to the viewing stands. Shoes are removed and stored outside.

[To the right, out of view, is a gift shop; restrooms are adjacent to the parking lot.] Apply sunscreen and insect repellant at this point. Admission is included in the tour, but a fee of $2-$3 is charged for cameras.

First sight of the Orangutans - Sh-h-h-h-h! Whisper!

As we gather on the viewing stand -- a large deck area with wooden rails and a few built-in benches, we are asked to be very quiet, to talk in whispers if at all.

We wait for about 20 minutes -- there is no guarantee at all how many, if any, orangutans will appear out of the jungle.

The longer we wait, the more eager we get for any hint that these wild creatures are coming. Then the rope -- installed to guide the orangutans to the station -- begins to move. Soon, one orangutan swings his (or her) way towards the viewing deck. [This is when I discover my camera battery case is loose. Typical!]

Orangutan on a rope - hand over hand through jungle

When the first orangutan reaches a tree near the deck, the rope 'bridge' turns right, to take him parallel to the deck, but still some 15-20 feet from the visitors.

Though they appear friendly, we had been told to remember they are wild animals, and once they are rehabilitated, the ropes lead through trees back into the jungle, where they will be wild again.

We were also told that, when one visitor got too close to an orangutan, the orangutan stripped the visitor of all his clothes, and left him naked! With sudden downpours possible at any time, be sure you have rain gear with you, even if it's just a plastic poncho or a green garbage bag from home. [A wet back pack takes forever to dry.]

A face that only a mother could love . . .

It can be hard to credit these are indeed wild animals, as they stop to pose for the crowd. One can only marvel at their flexibility!

The feeding station is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Though the rehabilitated orangutans do return to the wild, the feeding station remains open to them should they want to come back to say 'Hello' to their benefactors.

This site is funded by the UK-based non profit Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre and one of their workers made the initial presentation, and requested us to make a donation to support the facility that "provides medical care for orphaned and confiscated orang utans as well as dozens of . . . other animals - Sun Bears, Gibbons Sumatran Rhinos and the occasional injured elephant."

Two orangutans at the feeding station tree

At the feeding station, fruit is the mainstay offering. We were told that food -- usually bananas -- is purposely kept the same, so it gets kind of boring for the orangutans, and therefore encourages them to get back into the wild life of the jungle.

Before this center, and the protection of the orangutans, many of them were casualties of the rampant logging industry in Sabah.

Young orangutans -- babies stay with their mothers for up to six years after birth -- were often captured for [illegal] sale as pets. The centre includes a sick bay and a quarantine area. The nonprofit group raised funds for a vehicle, too. They hope to be able to track orangutans after release into the wild to see how they re-integrate.

Feeding Station Staff on the tree station

Certain staff are able to get close to the orangutans at the feeding station. The remarkable thing is, is that all this time -- about 45 minutes all told -- the group of about 50 visitors is so quiet.

Those of us who do chat do so in hushed voices. I whispered to two ladies on tour from the UK -- one of whom had been most everywhere, including Ethiopia, Venezuela, North America -- and had taken a guided two-hour jungle tour walk in this area. Special socks called leech socks are worn over footwear; these socks extend up to one's knees. This helps keeps the ubiquitous leeches from attaching themselves to your person.

Sepilok Centre Viewing Platform with wildlife viewers

I took this longer shot from the rear of the viewing platform deck. You can see the feeding station is in deep shadow. If you come here, stake out your vantage spot as soon as you can.

To the front (jungle side) left, you'll have the best view of the orangutans emerging from the jungle. To the right front, you'll have the best views of the feeding station. With so many visitors arriving at feeding times, you can't easily change positions later.

From Kota Kinabalu, an early morning Malaysian Airlines flight (7 a.m.; delayed 40 minutes for electrical problems), arrived uneventfully in Sandakan at 8:30 a.m. A short van ride took we three travellers, with guide and driver, to

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