about sepilok and sukau in sabah
SEPILOK ORANG UTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE
Orang Utans have long fascinated mankind. Known scientifically as "Pongo Pygmaeus", they have been found to be 96.4% similar to human genes. Gentle and shy by nature, you rarely hear of sightings of orang utan (Malay for “man of the forest”) in the wild. However, one place you are guaranteed of seeing them is at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Orang Utans are protected under the Fauna Conservation Ordinance which, among other things, prohibits hunting, trading or keeping them as pets.
The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre was established in 1964 and is the oldest and largest one in the world. It is located about 25 km, or a 20-minute drive, from the city of Sandakan. The centre offers a variety of experiences such as nature talks, wildlife photography exhibitions and live orang utan observation, filming and photography during feeding time in semi-natural environment.
The objectives of the project have expanded in recent years. While orang utan rehabilitation is still the primary goal at Sepilok, present aims include public education on conservation, research and assistance to orang utan and other endangered species such as captive breeding of the rare and endangered rhinoceros.
This centre is now under the supervision of more than 37 staff, including a Wildlife Officer (who is also in charge of the centre), a veterinary doctor, wildlife rangers and general workers.
The centre has a reception centre, information centre and mini-theatre, offices for wildlife staff, an animal clinic, quarantine area and enclosures for various other animals such as the rhinos.
At the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, orphaned or captive orang utans are taught survival skills so that they may return to their natural habitat. After watching orphaned orang utans being taught how to climb, visitors can proceed to a platform to watch the semi-wild orang utans come in from their jungle hides for their twice-daily ration of milk and bananas. To avoid the spread of disease, touching the animals is not permitted inside the centre. However, it is usually possible to meet and photograph a couple of the mature females just outside the Registration Centre, who are so fond of human company that they refuse to go back to the wild.
Sepilok, renowned for its orang utan rehabilitation project, has stimulated a greater local and international awareness of the protection laws for endangered species, and the work at the centre has resulted in an increase in detection and confiscation of illegally held captive animals.
The Rehabilitation Process
The rehabilitation process at Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre starts right after an orang utan has been admitted to the centre. The majority of animals arriving at Sepilok have been taken from people who were illegally keeping them in captivity, often after having taken them away from their mothers while still babies, to become household pets. Others include adults that have sustained injury or sickness and require medical treatment before being returned to the wild.
Quarantine : All animals are given a thorough general health examination shortly after arrival. This is followed by a quarantine period of 3 – 6 months to eliminate the possibility of them passing diseases to other orang utans. Through all phases of the rehabilitation process, the clinic offers assistance with any health problems that animals may encounter. The medical check-up comprises of tests for TB and Malaria, a urine analysis and a chest X-ray. After the quarantine, the orang utan will be assessed as to whether it should undergo the whole programme or deliberately start from the second or third stage.
Nursery : During the first year of their fives, young orang utans learn all the skills necessary for survival from their mothers. Captive orang utans, deprived of their mothers, are unable to find food, build nests, or even climb properly. It is these skills which wildlife rangers encourage the rehabilitants to develop. The “nursery” phase is where young orang utans (1 - 3 years) undergo a period of “pre-school” training to give them skills essential to life in the jungle, such as the ability to climb trees and explore the use of their limbs.
Platform A (Outward Bound School) : For those which are ready for it, there is then a period of “Outward Bound School” where their dependence on the food and emotional support given by the rehabilitation centre is gradually reduced. Here, orang utans are given increasing freedom and at the same time encouraged to learn to fend for themselves. At Platform A, their natural forest diet is supplemented with milk, fruits and vitamins & minerals twice a day.
Platform B (Survival Training) : Finally, when an orang utan has totally adjusted itself in the forest and shows signs of independence, it is gradually moved to the last phase of survival training. Here, even less food is offered, further away from the Centre, at Platform B. Here most animals eventually achieve total independence and become integrated into Sepilok's wild orang utan population. Since the Centre was established. More than 100 orang utans have been successfully released.
One of only four orang’utan sanctuaries in the world, the Sepilok Nature Reserve provides a truly unique day out. Tramp through the thick Borneo jungle along comfortable wooden walkways and see the orang’utans swing in from the trees for the twice daily feeding times. Large viewing platforms let you get see these beautiful red-haired apes up close and personal, especially as they are as equally curious about their visitors. During my visit, there were at least 15 orang’utans literally hanging around the feeding platform, spinning off ropes and running up and down the surrounding trees, along with occasional held poses for photographs. Sepilok provides a vital function in rehabilitating injured and orphaned apes so that they can return to the jungle – and for those that cannot go back to the wild, the sanctuary provides a safe home.
The government-run Nature Reserve is not just about looking after the orang’utans, however – it is about preserving an entire wildlife habitat, ensuring that all species great and small within the resort are protected. For nature lovers and those wanting to learn more about the incredible diversity of creatures that live on land in Sabah as well as underwater, Sepilok’s staff offer fun and informative guided walks, trekking and river expeditions
Accommodation at the nearby Sepilok Nature Resort is quite luxurious and set amongst the jungle itself, providing an unforgettable backdrop to your stay. The sturdy, spacious wooden bungalows with air conditioning and en-suite bathrooms are situated on one side of a picturesque lake, while on the other a beautiful high ceilinged dark wood open-sided restaurant provides a superb area to enjoy the views of the lake and either prepare for the day ahead or relax after an afternoon spent exploring the jungle,,,
Near to Sepilok lies the bustling town of Sandakan and also a treat that no visitor to the area should miss. Visiting The English Tea House & Restaurant perched high above Sandakan with views out over the city and the ocean is like stepping back in time. A perfectly manicured lawn and privet hedges surround a gleaming white restaurant, resplendent with parquet floor, elegant rattan furniture, a highly polished gramaphone and of course, spotless table cloths. Croquet mallets and hoops wait on the lawn for those who want some pre-lunch exercise, while immaculately
attired staff help you choose from the extensive menu of both Malaysian and Western cuisine. (And indeed, fusion cuisine – the genius who devised blueberry and lychee crumble deserves a pay rise). The English Tea House & Restaurant is a sublime slice of colonial luxury; indeed, most visitors wind up whiling the afternoon away within its convivial surroundings rather than just stopping for lunch. It provides a great place to unwind after the rigours of exploring Sepilok’s jungle delights and a perfect location to relax on that last no-dive day of a diving holiday.
The Sepilok Jungle Resort, enclosed inside a tropical virgin rainforest, adjacent to the world famous Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre will take you back in time when Humans were closer to nature. It is set amidst beautiful landscape gardens and thousands of acres of tropical rainforest.
The Resort (which is known as Wildlife Lodge for phase I) is the perfect place for guest who wish to get away from "it all" to spend a quite weekend with family and friends and desire only to be awaken by the chirping of birds and to hear the sound of cicada in the evening. You can hear and see Gibbons, Hornbills, many different bird species, fruit bats and butterflies feeding on fruits and flowers.
Escape to a paradise of nature at the Sepilok Jungle Resort, enclosed within a tropical virgin Borneo Rainforest in Sandakan, Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia. Let its beautiful landscaped gardens and wide expanse of lush jungle transport you back in time.
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sukau village
Sukau Village, which is approximately two and a half hours from Sandakan town, is situated on the lower course of the Kinabatangan River, one of the longest rivers in Borneo. Cruising along this river on one of the village boats offers one of the best opportunities in Sabah to observe Bornean wildlife.
Of particular interest is the rich primate fauna; this is one of only two areas in Asia with 10 primate species. These include several Bornean endemics (only found in Borneo), such as the Proboscis monkey, Maroon langur and the Bornean gibbon.
Sukau Village is also located on the boundary of an important protected area in Sabah, the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of only a few protected wetland sites in Sabah, and is part of an important conservation area for primates, larger mammals (such as the Asian elephant) and other wild animals of the wetlands (otters, Storm's stork and the flat-headed cat are notable examples).
Apart from the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, visitors are also attracted to the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, as here they get a chance to get close to the wildlife of Sabah. Much of the wildlife watching in the Sukau area occurs from the waterways. People in boats can approach animals easily and quietly with small electric motors and the well-trained guides always have a ready explanation of what the visitor is seeing. This was the first lodge to identify the environmental and aesthetic benefits of using electric motors when the boats were approaching wildlife.
Sukau Rainforest Lodge is located 15 minutes from Sukau by riverboat along the 560km lower Kinabatangan River, and close to the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. By road, the town of Sukau is a two-hour drive from Sandakan and a three-hour drive from Lahad Datu.
Opened in 1995, the lodge promotes ecotourism which benefits the local community and provides tourists the opportunity to experience the wonders of the rainforest in an environmentally responsible manner.
The 40-bed Sukau Rainforest Lodge is built on stilts in traditional Malaysian style using local hardwood. It also houses a lounge, restaurant, gift shop, open-air deck, two tree platforms for bird watching and an enclosed garden. Conservation, energy saving and being environmentally friendly are key practices here. Electricity is supplied by solar batteries and hot water by solar heaters. Lighting at night is also provided by oil lamps using recycled palm oil. The lodge has rules and regulations which guests must abide by.
Other special features of the Sukau Rainforest Lodge are the use of electric motors for the river cruise to minimise disturbance to wildlife, the implementation of a waste management programme, a rainwater collection and treatment programme, and the rehabilitation of birds.
There is much to see and do at the lodge. Wake up to the call of the gibbons and birds. Cruise up the misty Kinabatangan River at dawn to the nearby ox-bow lakes in search of hornbills, snakes, birds and otters. Watch out for the acrobatic displays by the proboscis monkeys high up in the treetops late in the afternoon. Dine out on the open deck illuminated by oil lamps and under the moonlit canopy of towering trees to the shrill of the cicadas. A fitting finale to a marvellous day is to drift to sleep on a coconut fibre mattress that promises restful slumber.
The Sukau Rainforest Lodge has won many awards, among which are the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Award in 1997, the Green Globe Achievement Award in 1996, 1998 & 2000, and the Conde Nest Traveler Ecotourism Award in 1999.
