Malaysia's Orphaned Orang Utans

The Orang Utan Is an Endangered Species, but as David Bowden Discovers, Two Sanctuaries in East Malaysia Are Doing All They Can to Ensure They Don’t Become Extinct.

- David Bowden

It is a challenge for many animal communities to survive in a rapidly developing world. Take the plight of the Malaysia’s Orang Utans (Pongo pygamaeus), for example. While a large animal, it is one of the most docile of all primates, and yet it struggles to survive in an ever-changing world.

Although they are protected by law, Orang Utan numbers are dwindling due to illegal hunting and trading, as well as the loss of their rainforest habitat. They need large areas of forest in which to survive and as these areas are being slowly cleared for logging or developed for agriculture, the Orang Utan habitat is rapidly diminishing.

The Orang Utan, Asia’s only ape, is found in Borneo (including Sabah and Sarawak) and Sumatra. The Bahasa Malaysia name Orang Utan means ‘forest man’ and it is one of the few Malay words to be found in the English dictionary.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t until the 1950s that Orang Utans were seriously studied in their natural habitat. While their physiology was well understood, scientists knew little about their lives in their rainforest habitat.

Now tourism is seen as an alternate revenue source for forests – a use that doesn’t destroy those forests by logging. Ecotourism can provide an answer to protecting natural resources and generating valuable income at the same time.

While visitors can get the occasional glimpse of Orang Utans in the wild, East Malaysia has two accessible rehabilitation centres where it is possible to closely admire these apes. Protection of Sabah’s Orang Utan population is centred upon the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre while in Sarawak; Semenggoh Pusat Hidupan Liar (Wildlife Centre) is the place to visit.

There are strict entry conditions for both and this means no smoking, no food and, in Sepilok, no bags.

GOING APE