Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre

A VISIT TO SEPILOK ORANG UTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE

It is about 23 km (15 miles) by road from Sandakan town, and 11 km (7 miles) from Sandakan airport. Sepilok lies at the edge of the 4,300 km² hectares ( 10,000 acres) Sepilok Forest Reserve. A unique experience to watch the Orang Utan during feeding time, which takes place every day at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m.
It is well worth a visit from many point of view. First, views of orang utan coming in from the forest to the feeding stations are dramatic, and provide golden opportunities for photography. Second, Sepilok comprises beautiful tall, primary lowland dipterocarp forest which has become so rare elsewhere, and walks through the forest are very rewarding in terms of the spectacular trees, and the chance to glimpse a myriad of rain forest animals.



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THE ORANG UTAN The orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus), the only great ape in Asia, is now found only in Borneo island (Sabah, Sarawak & Kalimantan) and Sumatra, though fossils from Stone Age archaeological sites show that its original distribution stretched from China to Sulawesi.

		Early Rehabilitation Surprisingly, it was not until the 1950's that orang utan were studied in their natural habitat. When the British administration in Sarawak began confiscating baby orang utan kept as pets, these animals became the responsibility of the curator of the Sarawak Museum, Tom Harrison, who delegated the care of the orang utan to his wife, Barbara Harrison. Receiving the first animal on Christmas day 1956, Mrs. Harrison quickly developed a system for taking care of these animals for release into the forest, Mrs. Harrison made field trips into the rainforest to try to understand their way of life in the wild.

	Rehabilitation was to be a long-term goal. At that time, there was no facilities for such a scheme. The animals adopted by the Harrisons between 1956 and 1960 were considered too used to human company to be returned to the forest, and were sent to zoos, although only after careful vetting of the facilities. And the treatment of the animals would receive there. The first was sent to the USA; the others were sent to Europe.

			However, from 1962 to 1965 Barbara Harrison was able to try placing abondoned orang utan in the forest, at the Bako National Park. Unfortunately, for two reasons this did not succeed. The area was too small and to close to habitation, and there was no population of wild orang utan into which the released animals might integrate. The orang utan were later taken to the newly opened Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre. Extracted from Animal Encyclopedia Malaysia 1998.
A VISIT TO SEPILOK ORANG UTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE It is about 23 km (15 miles) by road from Sandakan town, and 11 km (7 miles) from Sandakan airport. Sepilok lies at the edge of the 4,300 km² hectares ( 10,000 acres) Sepilok Forest Reserve. A unique experience to watch the Orang Utan during feeding time, which takes place every day at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m. It is well worth a visit from many point of view. First, views of orang utan coming in from the forest to the feeding stations are dramatic, and provide golden opportunities for photography. Second, Sepilok comprises beautiful tall, primary lowland dipterocarp forest which has become so rare elsewhere, and walks through the forest are very rewarding in terms of the spectacular trees, and the chance to glimpse a myriad of rain forest animals.
How to get there: From Sandakan town: - 23 km from town centre - public buses (Batu 14, Sepilok) are available near "Milimewa superstore" - the most convenient way to reach the centre is by taxi From Sandakan Airport: - Taxi (purchase a taxi coupon at the airport counter) - 25 minutes drive From Kota Kinabalu (by road): - Turn-off at "Jalan Sepilok" Junction, Mile 14, Labuk Road
				FAQs How many orang utans are left in the wild? Nobody knows how many there are left in the wild, however over the years estimates have been made. Borneo Opinions have been far more variable, best guesstimate is between 20,000 - 70,000 Sumatra Estimate was made in 1979, when orang utan expert Herman Rijksen said that there are now probably between 4,000 and 12,000. Source : Natural History of Orangutan – Dr. E.L Bennett
Threats to Orang utan associated with clearing of forests: - loss of habitat - diminishing food sources - increased competition with other wildlife for remaining forest resources - increased exposure to predators - possible exposure to disease as populations in remaining forest reach maximum capacity
					Where to see wild Orang utan in Borneo? - Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sabah - Danum Valley, Sabah - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah - Semenggoh and Matang Wildlife Centre, Sarawak - Batang Ai National Park, Sarawak - Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan
Conservation of Orang utan There is an international trade regulation, known as CITES, or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. The Orang utan is listed on Appendix I of CITES, which gives it the highest level of protection, and means that all international trade is banned, except for non-commercial scientific puposes such as captive breeding. Source: Natural History of Orangutan, Dr. E.L. Bennett.
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