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Borneo is that this mystic land identified for its untamed rainforest and distinctive jungle wildlife resembling pigmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, clouded leopards, solar bears, tigers, and most well-known of all – the Bornean orangutans.
However any customer to Borneo at present might be shocked by what lies in entrance of them. The place the rainforest as soon as stood, greater than 50% of it has been lower down because the 80s, making means for palm oil plantations, primarily.
This deforestation has put many of those animals in vital hazard of being extinct, and now the easiest way to see orangutans in Borneo, and typically the one means, is at an Orangutan Sanctuary in Borneo.
Thankfully, there are just a few Orangutan rehabilitation facilities in Borneo the place orphaned infants may be cared for earlier than they return to the wild.
On this information, we’ll share with you every of the Orangutan Sanctuaries in Borneo and what they work in direction of.
The place To See Orangutans in Borneo
Borneo is an island made up of three nations: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The most effective locations to see orangutans in Borneo are on the Malaysian aspect of Borneo within the north, within the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak.
That is the place a lot of the orangutan sanctuaries in Borneo are positioned since they’ve connections to the rainforests of Borneo.
Most of Borneo belongs to Indonesia, and you could find just a few sanctuaries within the Central and West Kalimantan provinces. Nonetheless, a lot of the orangutan inhabitants of Indonesia lies on the island of Sumatra, to the southwest of Borneo.
Listed here are all of the orangutan sanctuaries in Borneo and their historical past.
1. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (Pusat Pemuliharaan), Sandakan
Maybe probably the most well-known orangutan sanctuary in Borneo is the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary situated simply 25km outdoors Sandakan, to the west of the Sabah area of Borneo.
The rehabilitation centre has been open since 1964 and was the primary official orangutan rehabilitation centre in Borneo, devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned child orangutans.
A lot of the orangutans have been rescued from logging websites, unlawful searching or stored as pets, or those that wandered into plantations in search of a house.
You might be just about assured to see younger orangutans on the nursery, the place guests can view the infants taking part in from behind glass.
These infants and kids aren’t able to be out within the wild however are studying to outlive and play on an enormous climbing equipment manufactured from rope swings, climbing frames, and cord crossings.
Vacationers can watch them play from two massive indoor seating areas which have a big window overlooking the play space.
What’s particular about this centre is that it has no partitions. There are about 60-80 orangutans that stay within the consolation of the encompassing 10,610 acre Sepilok Forest Reserve, and they’re free to come back and go as they please.
After all, you’ll be able to all the time see them coming again throughout feeding time, which occurs twice a day when rangers deliver out meals of fruit, leaves, bark, and bugs, and place them on a feeding platform.
However aside from that, there aren’t any partitions or cages, or boundaries, they usually can stay fortunately of their pure habitat.
Personal Full Day Sepilok Orang Utan, Bornean Solar Bear and Rainforest Discovery Heart Tour
Throughout this full day eco-tour, journey into the super-diverse Bornean rainforest close to Sepilok, house to 1000’s of species of crops and animals. Go to three conservation centres within the space to find out how native persons are combating to protect Borneo’s pure atmosphere and return native fauna to their pure habitats. Guide your tour right here.
Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilation Centre with Lunch at English Tea Home
This half-day tour visits the sanctuary that aids the animals in rehabilitating again into the jungles of Borneo. Stroll by means of the forest on a raised walkway to see the animals and watch them being fed by rangers. Guide right here.
2. Kinabatangan River
Not far out of Sandakan is the Kinabatangan River, often known as the wildlife hall. Right here is the place the jungle stops and the plantations begin, separated by the river.
That is thought-about among the best locations to see wild orangutans, who usually nest excessive within the timber subsequent to the river.
Whereas it’s not a sanctuary as such, it’s nonetheless a protected space, and vacationers can keep in close by jungle lodges earlier than taking a ship cruise out onto the river and its tributaries, conserving a watch out for these elusive endangered species.
Whereas there isn’t any assure you will note an orangutan right here, it does help you get nearer to their house and to see the conservation efforts up shut.
As your boat sails down the water, you’ll discover a number of ropes main from one aspect to the opposite. That is to permit animals to cross over, since many nonetheless usually cross the river seeking meals and residential, unknowing of the plantations that reside on the opposite aspect.
Should you don’t see orangutans on this journey, you gained’t go house disenchanted. This forest space can be house to a number of different native animals to Borneo, resembling pygmy elephants, macaques, and 1000’s of species of birds.
You possibly can even go for an evening stroll the place you will get a glimpse of nocturnal animals resembling snakes, frogs, bugs, and possibly even a pair of beady crocodile eyes peering out of the water.
The Kinabatangan Wildlife Lodge is a snug and handy place to remain for these eager about visiting this wildlife paradise.
This Kinabatangan River Cruise Day Journey travels by means of the Sukau-Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, the tour presents an amazing alternative to see wildlife distinctive to this a part of Borneo, together with embody monkeys, orangutans, pygmy elephants, and varied birds.
3. Matang Wildlife Centre
The Matang Wildlife Centre is a very particular reserve. It was established over 15 years in the past on a chunk of 180 hectacre land, within the western nook of the Kubah Nationwide Park.
It really works to revive and shield the rainforest of Sarawak, in addition to to rehabilitate rescued animals for reintroduction again into the wild the place doable.
One of many highlights of visiting Matang Wildlife Centre is, certainly, seeing the orangutans up shut and private.
Sarawak has the very best inhabitants of orangutans in Borneo, however sadly, a lot of the orangutans at this centre have been confiscated from members of the general public who illegally stored them as pets. This implies they don’t know tips on how to take care of themselves within the wild, which the Matang Wildlife Centre goals to appropriate.
It’s their mission to coach and prepare the orangutans to fend for themselves to allow them to survive on their very own within the wild.
It’s an unforgettable expertise to see these wonderful primates up shut. To see their intelligence thriving lets you actually acknowledge simply how fragile these ecosystems are, why we have to safeguard them and what we stand to lose if one thing have been ever to occur.
With passionate individuals devoted to preserving its magnificence and variety, we will relaxation assured that the way forward for Matang Wildlife Centre seems to be vivid.
4. Tabin Wildlife Reserve (A part of Tabin Wildlife Resort)
The Tabin Wildlife Reserve is the place you’ll be able to see part two of the rehabilitation program. After their time at one of many orangutan sanctuaries in Borneo, the orangutans are launched into the wild.
However what occurs from there? That is the place the Tabin Wildlife Reserve is available in. This reserve is the place orangutans are often launched from Sepilok.
The reserve is situated in Tawau, within the southeast area of Sabah, Borneo.
In addition to with the ability to see orangutans of their pure house, you may additionally get an opportunity to see leopards, pygmy elephants, and extra.
Guests to the reserve are taken by means of the forest on a safari expertise, led by educated guides, who communicate with each other by walkie-talkie, conserving one another knowledgeable of any wildlife sightings.
5. Danum Valley Conservation Space
The Danum Valley is just like the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in that guests also can keep at a resort close by, after which take guided excursions into the reserve to see the orangutans of their pure house.
It’s an enormous 438 sq. kilometres space of protected, undisturbed lowland in Sabah, that has an enormous array of tropical crops and wildlife, making it a thriving habitat for not simply orangutans however many different species of animal in Borneo.
Gibbons, mousedeer, clouded leopards, Malayan solar bears, bearded pigs, pygmy elephants, and deer, in addition to over 270 chook species, name this space house.
You possibly can get pleasure from being within the coronary heart of the Bornean jungle, on the banks of the Danum River, the place wildlife thrives.
Within the daytime, take a safari out into the jungle to see in the event you can spot a number of the native residents hiding within the treetops.
After all, wildlife sightings are by no means assured, however there’s extra enrichment to seeing these clever apes of their pure house than behind glass in a zoo.
6. Tanjung Puting Nationwide Park
Tanjung Puting Nationwide Park is a protected space on the Indonesian aspect of Borneo.
It’s made up of 416,040 hectares of forest, swamp forest, mangrove, and coastal seashore forest, and is accessed from Kumai by speedboat alongside the Kumai River. The Kumai River types the northern border of the park. Above that, the forest has been lower down and become palm oil plantations.
The park was established within the Thirties by the Dutch colonial authorities as a spot to guard the orangutans and proboscis monkey. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and made right into a nationwide park in 1982.
It was teeming with pure life within the Thirties, and the identical is true at present.
Guests can take an ecotourism tour of the park, which consists of a ship tour alongside the park’s rivers and tributaries. As you sail by means of the calm waters, chances are you’ll catch a glimpse of gibbons, macaques, leopards, solar bears, porcupines, and sambar deer.
After all, the principle animal individuals come right here to see, are the orangutans, which reside of their pure habitat – which few places on earth can boast.
Seeing these pleasant giants swing from department to department actually presents one thing particular; they’re introduced meals to eat a number of occasions a day by tour guides, so no time is wasted to find them! After all, no sightings are ever assured.
How To Get To Borneo
There are two major airports within the Sabah area of Borneo, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Kota Kinabalu is the gateway to Borneo since most flights come to right here, nevertheless it’s an extended option to get from right here to the orangutan sanctuaries.
Your greatest wager could be to take a direct flight from Kota Kinabalu Worldwide Airport to Sandikan, after which take a bus from there to the reserves you need to go to.
Prime tip: Set up the Seize App in your cellphone to order taxis, which is often cheaper than paying by the metre. That is just like the Uber of Asia.
Last Ideas On The Orangutan Sanctuary in Borneo
They want us greater than ever.
A pal informed me of his expertise encountering orangutans each on the reserve and whereas distant jungle trekking within the Sabah. After all, he in contrast the wild encounter to be extra worthwhile.
I don’t assume you may beat the fun of that, however there’s a lot pleasure available in spending time watching them play in sanctuaries as effectively.
Whether or not it’s a random encounter or a deliberate go to, it’s heartwarming to be near their carefree, playful spirit.
I want we people could possibly be extra prefer it in all we do.
Extra Malaysia Journey Ideas
Are you considering of visiting different elements of Malaysia? Then chances are you’ll discover the beneath sources helpful!
Have you ever seen orangutans within the wild earlier than or in a sanctuary? Share your experiences beneath within the feedback.
Supply: Breaking Travel News