Next day, we packed and met our guide. There were two other people with us – Nick, who lived in San Diego, and Sandra, from Spain. They were both scheduled to travel with us for the three days at Sepilok and on the Kinabatagan river at Hornbill lodge
Our guide, also, was with us for the duration. His name was Hardy. He was very determined for us to be first to everything – the Orangutan feeding, the juveniles feeding, and later, first on the river in the morning.
Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
We drove about a minute to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Hardy said ” No bags allowed. Let’s go” which bothered me, since I had my stuff in bags. But I grabbed my camera and binoculars and we headed in.
We walked along a boardwalk to a viewing area where we could see a platform where the Orangutans would get fed. We showed up about 40 minutes early, and watched them wait for food. At one point, one lay on her back and bounced her hands and feet up and down. Very bored.
The idea was that the orangutans would go out into the jungle and learn how to forage and avoid predators, but they get fed while they learn.
Right on schedule, a guy showed up with a basket of fruit. The orangutans knew the routine, as did a band of macaques.
We then walked to the area where younger orangutans were kept (although there were free to leave as well). They got fed a little after we showed up. At first, the men who dumped the food on the table stood guard, but once they left a bunch of macaque surged forward.
A huge orangutan came by – evidently he was the oldest male around, and rarely seen.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Next to the Orangutan Sanctuary was the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Sun bears are the world’s smallest bear, and endangered by habitat loss, illegal hunting for bear parts and poaching to obtain young cubs for pet trade. Most of the bears in the sanctuary had been rescued from people’s home.
