October 2009

Wild & Free

The best way to see orangutans is up close and personal in their own habitat

Wild & Free

WORDS TIM RICHARDS

“They are so human-like. When you look at them, they don’t look aggressive, and yet you know they’re really strong.” Our guide Bob Zakaria is enthusiastically talking about orangutans as our minibus zips along the busy highway outside Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, headed for the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (SWRC). The Centre is 30 minutes’ drive south of Kuching, accessible by private car or taxi. According to Zakaria, there’s a local legend that claims the red-haired apes are descendants of a half-human ancestor; and their similarity to human form is certainly reflected in their Malay name, “orang hutan”, meaning “person of the forest”.

The orangutans at Semenggoh have all been rescued from captivity and rehabilitated into the wild. However, human encroachment on the environment means there’s not enough food available in the forest, so they return twice a day to enjoy the fruit left out by the centre’s caretakers. Orangutan feeding times are at 9am and 3pm daily, lasting for an hour. “There are times when you don’t see them, when there’s plenty of food in the jungle,” warns Zakaria, but we’re all hoping to see Ritchie, the 30-year-old orangutan who was rescued decades ago by a man who gave the ape his own name.

Passing through Semenggoh’s entrance, we join a line of visitors and walk slowly along an unpaved path into the trees. It’s both cool and humid this morning, and we’re soon immersed in the forest. As we move forward, the light breaks through the leafy canopy in patches, and there’s a background soundtrack of cicadas and birdsong. It’s an extraordinary and soothing combination of sight and sound.

As we near the viewing platform, separated from the feeding platform by a dip in the forest floor, there’s a buzz of excitement as orangutans start appearing in the treetops directly above us. One by one, they swing towards their breakfast, holding onto vines and branches, and to ropes tied strategically in place by the centre’s caretakers. Some are carrying infants, whose faces peek over their parents’ shoulders as they move. As the orangutans alight on the feeding stage, there’s a flurry of motion as we move about, vying for the best photographic angle.

Then comes the character we’ve all been waiting for: Ritchie swings down through the forest. He’s huge! With a gigantic blocky body shape and distinctive flanges that make his face seem very broad, he almost seems a different species from the other orangutans. Alighting on the platform, he samples the papayas and bananas, and then selects a coconut. With three mighty whacks against the wooden decking, Ritchie smashes open the fruit and casually tastes its interior. With a strength up to ten times that of humans, an orangutan’s strength instils a sense of awe in the onlookers.

Back at the reception area, I meet some of the caretakers, and we chat about the challenges of running the centre and keeping the orangutans healthy and fed. I’m told that there are about 20,000 orangutans in all of Borneo, and that May to August is the best time to see them. As they live in the wild, they’re not under the direct control of the centre’s staff, and they sometimes won’t come in to feed. It seems we are particularly lucky today; not only did we get to meet a large number of apes, of all ages and sizes, but also we were graced with the presence of Ritchie, the star of the show.

So what is it about orangutans that are so fascinating to humans? “Being human, we are always curious,” Zakaria explains. “Orangutans look like us, so we wonder – do they think like us? There are some behaviours that are quite similar to ours, actually. They peel bananas, and crack open coconuts. The younger ones give respect to the elder orangutans, and we humans do that; we respect our elders too.”

Tim Richards travelled courtesy of Tourism Malaysia.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

Base yourself in Sarawak’s capital city, Kuching, to enjoy these other diversions:  

Museums: Sarawak has a rich and intriguing past, reflected in its diverse museums. Visit www.museum.sarawak.gov.my
Cats: “Kuching” means “cat” in Malay, and there are large cat statues at major intersections, which are regularly dressed up for special occasions
Kayaking: Go kayaking down a river and see a Sarawak village. Borneo Trek & Kayak Adventure; tel: +60 (82) 240 571, www.rainforestkayaking.com
Culture: Check out the Sarawak Cultural Village’s stage shows

OTHER SANCTUARIES

Matang Wildlife Centre, Kubah National Park, Sarawak, tel: +60 (82) 248 088, www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Batu 14, Jln Labuk, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, tel: +60 (89) 531 180
Bohorok Orangutan Centre, Gunung Leuser National Park, Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia, www.bukitlawang.com






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