Man of the Forest

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The word Orangutan literally translates in Malay to "the people of the forest." For centuries these creatures have held a special place in the hearts of natives living throughout SE Asia, and being in their presence on our visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center it was easy to see why. The SORC was set up to take in orphaned orangutans or ones who have been displaced by habitat loss and introduce them to the skills they will need to live on their own in the wild. The center either prepares and/or re-releases them into a forest reserve twice the size of Singapore where they eventually live on their own as true wild orangutans. The orangutan was once found all across SE Asia, however today they only exist on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Because of deforestation for logging and farming, orangutan habitat is dwindling and the potential for the orangutans continued existence in the wild is doubtful.

Our day at the rehabilitation center was incredible. Tourists can view the orangutans during the two feeding sessions the center conducts every day. Orangutans who are newly introduced into the center's jungle reserve will usually come to the feeding platforms once or twice a day to supplement their diets. During the morning session we visited, a pregnant mother, a mother with a young baby and a third mother with her four year old "kid" came to the feeding platform. In the afternoon, two mothers, both with their infants, visited.

In between the feeding sessions, we toured the center and learned some interesting facts about orangutans:
-They are the largest solely tree-dwelling primate
-Genetically they are 96.4% the same as humans (they have 32 teeth just as we do)
- An adult male is roughly four times stronger than an adult human and can weigh up to 200 pounds
-A mother orangutan will hold her infant for the first two to three years of it's life without ever putting it down (just like my sister...j/k-just want to see if you read these things Erin!).
-An female orangutan will only have two to three offspring in her entire life (one of the reasons they are so endangered) and the offspring will stay with the mother for the first 6 or 7 years of it's life learning to fend for itself.
-Orangutans make a nest every night in the branches of trees to sleep in because they are so large they run the danger of falling out of the tree without one.

We'll let our pictures say the rest....

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Photos

Orangutan
coming into view

getting fed
they are given mostly bananas and sugar cane

Eyos, a pregnant mama
she came down for a closer look at the tourists

infant baby
a few months old

a Macaque
they come to clean up the leftovers from the feeding

Eyos with feeder
it doesn't look it with this photo, but these really are wild orangutans. The center sets up 4 feeding platform in their jungle reserve, roughly double the size of Singapore. Each platform is further into the jungle and as the rehabed orangutans become more comfortable in their natural setting they venture further out and most times stop appearing at the feeding platforms. There are no fences and they are not kept in any enclosures except for when they are infants or are first brought there.

Comments

[Erin]

i am too busy
carrying mak around for the first 3 years =)! can't wait until you guys come home!