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After 6 hrs on a bus from kota Kinabalu through the Borneon Jungle, up, down & round mountains we made it to Sandakan. We got a taxi from here to Sepilok 45 minutes down the road. Sepilok really is in the middle the jungle and really does has wild Orangutans in the local area. It felt weird to be in one of the only places in the world in which these animals can still be found in the wild. We were dropped off at our hotel for the next 3 nights called the Sepilok Forest Edge Report. It had lovely woodern chalets with a swimming pool and resturant area all surrounded by the jungle.
The following day we made our way down the Sepilok Organgutan Rehabilitation Center just a few minutes walk from our hotel. On arrival we guessed that the morning feeding of the Orangutans would be busy as there was 4 buses sat in the carpark. When we turned up we where right, there was around 100 people all crowding around all hoping that a wild Orangutan would majke its way down from its next (yes they have nests) and come for a few bananas for breckfast. The center only feeds them a certain amount in the morning and after noon to ensure that the rehabilitated orphans etc are still alive and doing well, not so that they come to put a show on for us humans. The amount that they are fed is not enough for them to rely on so they do have to collect their own food aswell. We joined the crowd and then 4 oprangutans made their way down to the platform. They stayed for around 1 hr. Most people moved on after around half an hr so we stuck around to enjoy watching them without all the other tourists for a while. After the Orangutans made their way back into the jungle we made our way to the canteen for lunch. After lunch we watched the educational programme and a story about a little orphan called saskia, this brought tears to both our eyes. Saskia was rescued by the foundation from a little local man what had taken her from her mother when she was so young she still needed milk to survive. She was locked in a cage with one toy and occasional looked at by the little mans grandchildren. Luckily another local reported huim to the rehab center and they came to the rescue. They showed you how they rehabilitate these little guys but putting them in quarantine, teaching them how to be wild again and play, basically taken on the mother role. It was a very touching story that brought tears to both Rach and I.
After the video we made our way back to the viewing platform an hour early to get a good spot for the second feed. ON getting there we were the only ones there. We were sitting quietly just waiting we we saw a few yards away the trees rustling and the branches bending in such a way it looked like they were going to snap! so immidiatly we know it had to be one of the Orangutans turning up earliy to get his good spot too! We waited quietly and sure enough we saw him, but was also saw a mother with her baby aswell. The adult Pranutans just sat in the tree watching me and Rach whilst we watched them. I wasnt quite sure who was viewing who as they were equally interested in watching us. The little baby one went off on a jolly by himself, swinging from tree to tree, annoying his parents and sometimes taking an interest in us. I was almost like watching a human family interact with each other as the mother pulled on the little ones arms as if to say "stop titting around and sit still". We had the privilage to watching this family all to our selves for quite some time. We watched the afternoon feed with not so many people and made our way back to the hotel.
The following day 12th Sept we made the 2hrs return journey into Sandakan so we could buy a nappies, towels, toys and feeding bottles in which we could donate to the orangutan Orphanage. On the way back from handing over our donation we booked up for a Jungle trek and cruise to the Kinabatang River.
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