In the Land Below the Wind

I'm not really one for outdoor holidays, but nonetheless decided that it was about time for me to go visit the rainforests in Sabah.  I'd not been before to East Malaysia at all and was looking forward to seeing this very different aspect of Malaysia.  It was a short 5-day trip but one full of memorable experiences.  Of course, the highlight was the visit to Sandakan, including the visit to the orang utan sanctuary at Sepilok and the two nights spent in our lodge on the Kinabatangan, the largest river in Sabah and in the heart of the wildlife forest reserve there.

We started off with the visit to the orang utan sanctuary at Sepilok.  It is here that orphaned baby orang utans are taken, to learn the ways of orang utans and to be eventually released to the wild.  Baby orang utans need to stay with their mother for about 5-6 years, to learn how to climb, how to make nests, what are the good foods to eat, and so on.  Just like human babies, little orang utans who are separated from their mother (for whatever reason) are just helpless, unable to cope in the wild wide world around them. 

Unfortunately, we were unable to see the little ones close up as they are kept away from us humans and our germs. But we did make it to the feeding time, when the orang utans make their way to the feeding platform.  We watched as three orang utans (sadly, only three) swung gracefully, effortlessly, to the platform, to eat the fruit and interact with each other before going on their way.  The big bonus was the sight of the little baby orang utan, clutching on to its mother and looking oh so adorable.  What I did not expect was the presence of the little macaques, darting onto the platform to eat the fruit (after the orang utans had finished), and running quickly to and fro along the ropes leading to the platform.  And all this time, the orang utans simply continued doing their own thing, indifferent to the macaques' antics taking place all around them.

Sepilok is a well-kept, well-managed sanctuary.  The babies are kept in their nursery but as they grow, they are carefully moved out into the reserve, in slow easy steps.  Some go out and disappear forever, others come back regularly to feed.  Some females return with their own little babies - a sign of success indeed.  Visitors are asked if they would like to adopt an orang-utan baby (i.e. pay for its keep, they are an endangered species and definitely not allowed as pets).  More information about Sepilok, including on how to donate, at Sepilok Orang-utan Appeal UK.

After seeing the orang utans in the sanctuary, we were delighted when, the very next day, we managed to get a glimpse of a mother and her baby in the wild, on the banks of the Kinabatangan.  We were going down the river in our little boat, when suddenly our guide told us to look up in the trees.  There we saw the orang utan nest and next to it, swinging quicky away, the orang utan herself and also her baby.  It was a real privilege to see it. 

Hopefully, in the years ahead, the emphasis on sustainable development will mean that the precious rainforests will be protected and the orang-utans and all the wonderful wildlife of the region will be able to live in peace.

Lots more lovely orang-utan photos here.