Sepilok, Malaysia
July 13, 2014
We flew into the land of Orangutans and kidnappers well before sunset. We had sorted one night out at the Sepilok Jungle Resort and would take things from there as although not massively pricey it was still way above what we had been paying in Vietnam in the past month. The place was basic but decent enough and we grabbed some food and beers only to discover that beer is obviously the equivalent of oil here as it was £2 a small can so probably works out about the same as oil per barrel I guess. We were definitely in for more animals and wildlife than we were for drinking here that’s for sure. The last of the Jim Beam we brought was swiftly polished off with due haste and we got our heads down for the night ready to get ourselves out and about the following morning.
Borneo has always held a fascination for me. Half of the living things on the entire planet can be found on this one massive Island, the third largest in the world. I suspect that says a lot about what percentage of living creatures are insects as the noise they make at times is deafening but I was really looking forward to seeing first hand some creatures that you can not see anywhere else. The Jungle resort was a great location as well. We had opted to stay away from Sandaken itself due to the kidnappings and also the fact that despite the places being marginally cheaper we would have still had to pay bus fare every day to get to and from the rain-forest and the various sanctuaries around it. The resort was easy walking distance to the Orangutans, the Bornean sun bear sanctuary and also the Rain-forest Discovery Centre. The first full day was a visit to see the Orangutans. Probably the most famous of all the things to experience here.
The sanctuary rehabilitates young baby Orangutans that have been rescued from both poachers and also founded by developers who are constantly eroding away their natural habitat with palm oil plantations. To give you an idea how much of an impact oil production is having in Borneo take a look at these maps http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gIcQMggLvCU/Ty5gUQE6rCI/AAAAAAAABdQ/WeB-FABZsl4/s1600/extent-of-deforestation.gif It’s horrific but it’s worth over 80 billion dollars a year to the rich Malaysians and government that own the plantations so you can’t see how anything is ever going to change. Indonesia though is the biggest culprit for palm oil production in the world and that is also massively evident when you look at how much has been cleared on the Indonesian South of the island. We all use palm oil on a daily basis without even realsing it. It’s in most food products but labelled as vegetable oil as opposed to palm oil. It’s also used in most household products as well from soaps and shampoos to cleaning products.
We arrived nice and early to catch the morning feeding at 10am. It was pretty good. Around half a dozen Orangutans turned out for it and not just the young ones. A few older more mature characters also arrived for the free daily feed of fruits put out by the wardens there. The young Orangutans go through a programme aimed at giving them the required skills to look after themselves in the wild without human help but it was obvious that quite a few are still nearby in the forest and know when and where to catch the free daily meals. They were amazing to see and have a slow minimal effort rolling and climbing style to them. They seem very relaxed and unhurried in what they do. They were also joined by a small army of much more sprightly long tailed Macaque’s who were also privy to the free feeds that were on offer. Feeding was around thirty minutes and then one by one they all drifted back off into the dense forest that surrounded us. I thought that was it for the Orangutans and that we would only see them at feeding times. How very wrong I was.
After a quick drink and sit down we headed out onto one of the trails into the rain forest that are accessible within the sanctuary towards a bird tower. I hoped we would see a few rare birds up there but we got to see a lot more than we bargained for. As we sweated our way through the rain forest we hardly saw anyone at all until we spotted a couple ahead of us who suddenly veered off the track into the under growth. We followed and sure enough there was a small Orangutan most likely a teenager. We crept forwards and to where the couple were along with another bloke and were only a few feet away from the impressive human like creature. I wasn’t sure how wild it was but it must have been raised at the sanctuary as it was obviously not phazed by human presence and we would not have disturbed or distressed a wild one if it showed any signs of being bothered by humans.
We sat and watched patiently as it went about it’s business rolling around and hanging off the odd low branch. As time went by the other people left and there was just me Dani, our ginger friend and his mate that we had spotted high up in a tree. We checked the time and eventually needed to head back as the trail was shutting so made our way back to the path and started to head towards the visitor centre. The one in the tree kept it’s distance and hardly moved but the closer one on the ground started to follow us. We kept our distance and stayed ahead of it to start with as it lolloped down the trail behind us. Tumbling it’s creams and sliding along in the mud and generally ambling along like a small child. The strange thing was that like a zombie no matter how slow it appeared to be moving it kept gaining on us. The humidity of the rain forest and heat took it’s toll and as I flagged a bit the Orangutan caught up with me.
It was amazing. She wanted to play and kept offering her hand until I was sat there opposite this beautiful Orangutan in the middle of the Borneo rain forest holding hands. It was one of those moments when you really have a lump in your throat, in awe of nature and the amazing things we live with on this planet. Definitely not what I had expected from the day at all. The feeding was great, just to see these creatures in heir natural habitat but to sit holding hands with one so calmly was almost surreal yet overwhelming at the same time. It then proceeded to follow us for the next kilometer. Yet again in it’s slow playful style of rolling around and sliding through the mud. It wasn’t until we left the forests muddy tracks and hit the boardwalk near the exit that it stopped and realised the edge of it’s boundary with the forest and mankind’s environment. It really was such a special moment that I wont forget. Spending time like that we an animal so rare.
The evening feed after that experience was dull in comparison. Great to see them again but nothing like the experience we had just had in the forest. Once the evening feed was done we headed back to the Jungle resort and chilled out happy with the day we had enjoyed. We decided to stay there another couple of nights as there were still the bears and the discovery centre to get round and we figured we may as well do them justice and give them a full day each to get our moneys worth.
As we chatted over a beer about this another familiar character appeared on the wood railing of the resort. It was another Orangutan that had popped in for some tea. Apparently it comes most nights and here it was sat amongst people waiting for it’s milk and bread. It was not shy at all. Observant and aware of everyone around it but not concerned for sure. The people at the resort were used to him and he was much larger and darker than the one we had seen on the afternoon and obviously quite a bit older. He stayed a good half hour and then eventually sloped off into the forest and back to his home. This was most definitely the day of the Orangutan.
The next day we walked down to see the Bornean Sun bears at the sanctuary just opposite the Orangutans. Unfortunately I was a little bit disappointed. Not with the bears themselves they were lovely but with the centre. We were expecting it to be similar to the Orangutans and that it would have various trails to walk around as that’s what it said outside but there were no trails. Just the enclosure where they rehabilitate the bears and a very small path to walk around. That said we did get to see a couple of things. As with the Orangutans the sneaky Macaques were out in force again looking for another free meal and there were a couple of beautiful green vipers that you could see on the walk.
As per yesterday there was also an appearance by a pair of Orangutans as well. They started high up in the trees. One fully adult and the other a young friend. Apparently the older Orangutan is friends with the young ones mother and they have also built up a friendship and hang around together quite often. So not a full days worth of nature but we made the most of our time there and spent plenty of time talking with one of the keepers to learn as much as we could about the bears and the other wildlife around here.
Once back at the resort we tried to do more reading up but there was little if any internet to do that so we resigned ourselves to chilling out and watching a few bits and bobs on the laptop. I know. In Borneo, right next to the edge of the rain forest and I’m sat watching a film and some TV shows, crazy. But at least it was cheaper than trying to have a drink around these parts. The place livened in the evening due to the appearance of the neighbourly Orangutan. Pretty damn cool really, I don’t know many resorts where they have a regular visit by an Orangutan so you can’t complain with the resort facilities I guess.
The following morning we walked a bit further. Up to the rain forest discovery centre this time. I was really looking forward to this as it’s something I had read about a year ago when planning Borneo and it looked brilliant. Some bridge walks up high in the rain forest canopy. Hopefully we would get to see some birds and wildlife that you wouldn’t normally see if you were just on the trails below. As we wandered through among the high stretching trees we saw very little. I was disappointed but then again there was also the odd person who didn’t really know how to keep quite whilst trying to spot wildlife so that may have been a spoiler but it felt as if everything was wise to the walk ways and avoided it.
We headed lower down and decided to see what if anything the myriad of trails below had to offer. This is where we really started to enjoy the place. The trails were really quiet. To be fair the whole centre was. There was only a handful of cars parked outside and we had passed the noisy people so it felt as if we had the rest to ourselves. Sitting still and just waiting pays dividends in these places and we saw a whole host of birds flitting about. I couldn’t name any but it felt as if things were starting to come to life a bit. Plenty of noises and bird song all around. The kind of song birds I had never heard before. As we wandered along a woodpecker appeared briefly before we rounded the corner and were greeted by the sight of a giant forest squirrel descending a tree. This was a bit more like it. Next up was a wood nymph, a particular type of butterfly that we had spotted on a sign earlier and then as we were headed towards the tropical plants garden near the visitor centre a black capped kingfisher flew past with its bright orange underside on display.
I was really enjoying the discovery centre. It was a good place. The visitor centre at the end of the gardens was really good and informative and the gardens themselves appeared lovely but unfortunately it must have been the wrong time of year as very little was in bloom. What was there was good but we missed out on seeing the giant Rafflesia. The largest flower in the world at a whopping 100cm in diameter! Reluctantly we headed back before nightfall. We could have stayed much longer once we discovered all the trails as things were really starting to come to life but we timed it well as the rain switched on immediately and did not let up for the next few hours.
Once back at the resort we were not the only ones looking to take shelter from the downpour. The regular visitor arrived yet again. This time he had waited for the rain to ease a bit first so was later than usual. The folks at the resort who know him well gave him a blanket and sure enough he covered himself and dried himself off. Certainly not like a trained monkey but it was amazing to see how human like these orangutans are at times. He knew how to cover himself and how to peek out from the covers when he wanted to. No different to us. This dude also wanted some shelter from the rain and also to be able to dry himself off and warm up. At times when the folks were talking to him he made various noises as if to say something back or what it was he was wanting. Yet another great day for Orangutans as well as other critters really.
That night we made the most of the internet working a little better than previous nights and we relucantly planned where to move on to. As amazing a place as Borneo seems to be we could not afford the turtles or moving around to other parts of the island to experience more things. Borneo is now penciled in for another trip at another time with a bit more money behind us to experience it properly. I have thoroughly enjoyed the taster experience of what is here. It is truly incredible but it would have bled us dry had we stayed any longer.
Next up is the Perhentian Islands and what promises to be a cheaper opportunity to experience the sea turtles in the wild as well as one last splash of island life with Dani before she heads back to the UK.
