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Hey everyone. Hope you are all okay. I was hopinbg to add some phtotos for all of you to see but my camera batteries ran out last night on the way to Bako National Park and we are not going back to Matang until tomorrow.
So what have I done so far. Well as you know I arrives on Saturday and then in the evening we all went out for a welcome dinner. On Sunday we headed to Matang which is where the park is. We were taken to our accommodation known as Billets. There are 9 of us in total with 3 to a billet. I am sharing with Jack and Fiona. Then on Sunday afternoon we were given our shopping money and were taken to a couple oif supermarkets. It was interesting to see what they had and how cheap it was. Could not believe it. We got so much food. We have bought food together and have been cooking and preparing meals together as it works out cheaper.
On Monday we got shown around the park in the afternoon. There are so many more animals than the Orangs. In fact there are only 7 at the centre at the moment and 2 more are coming next month which is a shame as we hoped they would be arriving whilst we were there. There are crocs, false gariels, binterong, porcupines, sun bears (which I have fallen in love with - there are only 10,000 left in the world and Matang is the only rehabilitaion centre in the whole world and we are taking part in research for them), lots of macaques, gibbons, birds, deer and this baby deer which is so cute. I fed it the other day which was an amazing experience. The baby deer has to be taken out of the enclosure as soon as it is born otherwise the other deer will kill it. Once it is big enough it will go back but we are basically its mother at the moment. There are also 2 baby macaques which are so frindly and one not so (matt). It bears it teeth at me everytime I walk past him.
What I am doing isn't 100% as to what I was expecting but I am still having fun. Tuesday was the start of us labouring. In the morniung we do the husbandry which is putting out food and cleaning out cages. In the afternoon and part of the morning we would wither be doing construction, painting or enrichment. I have done painting and enrichment so far. The painting was horrible. Along with Fiona I had to go up into this tiny space above the orangs night dens and paint it white. There was no air so I was sweating like mad. Also Aman the big male orang had a massive stone in his hand and was trying to break down the gate as he wanted to be inside. The enrichment has been good though. I have put up ropes in Aman's enclosure and learnt how to splice rope. I have also started making a happy sack for Cham (female orang). It's basically a sweet pumpkin in a sack that I have tied together tightly and she has to try and open it and get to the fruit. She normally gets through them quickly but I am hoping to make her work for it. Also yesterday I had top go into the jungle and find rotting logs for the sun bears which I found fun. I then had to saw one in half. First time I have sawed such a big log. IT was harde work and in that heat very hot work.
On Tuesday I was shown how to clean the orangs dens. Now we can't actually play with the orangs or get up close in the same area as they are very strong creatures. Also it is not good for their rehabilitation and human contact is kept to a minimum. At first I was a bit annoyed about that but after being explained as to the reasoin why I totally agree. However, there is one Orang, Doris who is such a poser, that we can touch and have more interaction with. She is very huimanised and gets depressed if there is no contact. It is going to take longer to rehab her. I held her hand the other day which was amazing. She puts hers out as you walk past. They are quite rough though. Orangs are so clever and quicker than us. If any of the animals see something you have that they want they will try and get it.
On Thurs I learnt about the quarantine animals. There are a whole mixture here.
Urm what else can I tell you. Ah yes. The working day is 088-1200 and then there is a 2 hour lunch siesta brak where we somtimes go down to the rive and then it is from 2-5. The showers are cold but are so refreshing it doesn't bother me. In the evenings we normally have dinner, chat and write in my journal.
We have the weekends off so last night we went to Bako National Park where we went on a night trail but saw no animals of interest and then today we went on a couple of other trails and saw wild macaques and probiscous monkeys. Just watching them go from one tree to the next was amazing. Absoloutley loved it. Came back to Kuching this afternoon and have jsut got back from dinner. We went to this food market and I had red snapper with a thai sauce and rice and steamed veg. It was so tasty and all of that cost me 29 ringets - 6 pounds!!! Tomorrow we are going to the local market and then head back to the centre to start work on Monday. Spending next weekend around the park and the last weekend a few of us are going to a place called Pemai and will be sleeping in tree houses.
I am covered in mosquito bites and I have quite a few bruises already. My tan is coming on well on the top half of my body but as usual my legs are still very pale.
So there are 9 of us here in total: Me, Jack, Fiona, Alice, Kim, liz, Tina, Adrian and Jane. Hwoever, Jane has now left the project as she wasn't expecting it to be like it is. She was not happy. She didn't really get involved from day 1 and has made no effort with any of us apart from the 2 people she is sharing with so to be honest I am quite glad she has gone.
Kuching is a lovely city but has so many statues of cats it looks quite funny. Matang is not as basic as I was expecting which is a nice surprise.
Hopefully next time I will be able to add some photos. Think I have managed to give let you know the gist of everything I have done so far.
Oh yes the weather. Well it was raining as I aldned last Saturday but this only lasted a day. The weather has been so hot that when I walk out onto the balcony in the morning before 8am the sun is already shining brightly. We had rain Monday afternoon too but apart from that it has been very hot each day.
Love to you all.xxxxxxxxx.
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