Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Introducing Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

One of only four orangutan sanctuaries in the world, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC) occupies a corner of the Kabili-Sepilok rainforest reserve about 25km north of Sandakan. The centre was established in 1964; it now covers 40 sq km and has become one of Sabah’s top tourist attractions, second only to Mt Kinabalu.

The centre has arguably suffered from its own success, and at busy times more than 700 visitors per day can flood the centre, with camera-clicking tourists far outnumbering the poor primates. More seriously, constant contact with humans has exposed the orang-utans to diseases, which can make rehabilitation to the wild all but impossible. Expansion plans should solve some of the overcrowding problems

Orangutans are the only species of great ape found outside Africa. A mature male is an impressive, not to mention hairy, creature with an armspan of 2.25m, and can weigh up to 144kg. Dominant males also have distinctive wide cheek pads to reinforce their alpha status. It was once said that an orangutan could swing from tree to tree from one side of Borneo to the other without touching the ground. Sadly this is no longer the case, and hunting and habitat destruction continue to take their toll; it’s estimated fewer than 15, 000 specimens now exist in the wild.

Orphaned and injured orangutans are brought to Sepilok to be rehabilitated to return to forest life, and so far the centre has handled about 100, although only about 20 still return regularly. It’s unlikely you’ll see this many at feeding time – three or four is more likely, perhaps a dozen on a good day, or maybe none at all. Females that have returned to the wild often come back to the feeding platforms when they’re pregnant and stay near the centre until they’ve given birth.

The orangutans are fed fruit twice daily from a platform in the forest, about 10 minutes’ walk from the centre. This feeding is just to supplement what they can find for themselves in the jungle – if trees are fruiting, few apes will turn up.

Young orangutans in particular are endlessly appealing, with ginger fur and intelligent eyes. Macaques may also join the feeding frenzy, and you can see other wildlife such as flying squirrels around the centre. It’s quite dim under the forest canopy, so if you’re taking photographs, you’ll need ASA 400 film.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009