Thorn Tree travel forum

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Laszlo,

Good work on the thread, but I would like to disagree on your remarks on Semenggoh. The Centre has improved a lot. No caged orang utans and the whole is better and less toristic than Sepilok. Although they have not yet "rehabillitated"many orangs, they now work on money to do so. Together with the surrounding gardens on bamboo, plants and trees and the hopefully very soon opening orchids gardem, it makes a perfect half day trip from Kuching.

COSTO

31

COSTENOB,

Your comments on Semenggoh piqued my interest. I will be going to Sarawak in early August only for only a few days on a student's budget. It sounds like you would recommend the Semenggoh facility. Could you possibly give a little more info on a typical visit? (i.e. best time for viewing, typical feeding/activity schedule)?

Also, could help me out with how to get there? I've looked quite a bit on the internet, and can't find much on transportation..... ideally I'd like to take a bus, but if it's really worth it, I'd shell out some more for a taxi.

Thanks so much, look forward to hearing from you :)

Tryin' to bury, seven zeros, over Rio di Janeir-y

32

Well, I managed to find out how to get there. In case anyone else is interested, here's the link

That said, I think some unbiased opinions on Semenggoh from forum readers who've recently visited would still be really helpful. The site offers a lot of info, but who knows how reliable it is.....

Thanks again.

Tryin' to bury, seven zeros, over Rio di Janeir-y

33

anyone know about the tendency of some orangutans to try and rape their female human handlers. I have heard this story twice now. One from a volunteer direct and one friend of a friend story. Any thruth to this?

adventure is simply physical and emotional discomfort recollected in tranquillity

34

Getting to Semenggoh is fairly easy...just take the Sarawak Transit Bus #6 from near the PostOffice. Cost is about RM$2 OW. Then there is a RM$3 entry fee. Feeding's are about 9 AM so you must leave Kuching by 8 AM to catch the feeding. Afternoon feedings are at 3PM (but may not have the number of apes appearing).

I decided to drop by the center with some friends for the first time in a few years and found that the center is actually somewhat active again, though they do not accept new adults. The reason why they have started to become involved is that the females are breeding quite rapidly and so the staff must now send the maturing adolescents into areas where orangutans once occupied (but are no longer known) in Batang Ai.

Most of these apes really are pretty well acclimated to wild activity, as their parents were released in the Forest Reserve some 10-20 years ago. But they can't stay there since there simply isn't enough room.

When I was there about 10 orangutans showed up, mostly females with young and adolescents. They actually didn't go to the feeding platform but primarily just hung about near the staff cabins and interpretative center. Most didn't even bother with the food. A few were thrown a banana or orange from a staffperson on the ground. But about 70% didn't even eat...and those that did maybe consumed one or two fruits. The wildlife Department staffperson said that they do not feed the animals from the ground to discourage terrestriality and human contact.. Richie, the resident dominant male, apparently hadn't been in for several days.

I got the impression that the orangutans mainly came to the feeding, not for human contact, but because it was a social activity for THEM. This is likely the consequence of a tradition of "meeting up" at such feedings (which now are mainly irrelevant). There is a natural parallel...when a fruit tree is heavily laden several females with young, immature females, and a dominant male may all come in and exploit that tree. Young may play together but the adults essentially feed without much contact. That's essentially what I saw at Semenggoh.

Visitors were allowed to watch them for about half an hour before being shooed away by staff...since "the orangutans should not be around people too much". One or two youngsters actually began to make nests, as if they were going to settle in for a siesta once the crowd left.

I spoke with the vet at the Center and he said that the only animals they have in quarantine is a sick gibbon...the orangutans are tested regularly (via fecal droppings or blood if they appear to have a cough) but do not appear to have contact with human pathogens (being wild born and/or long-term rehabitants).

If one has limited time and want to see "feral orangutans" I'd suggest that you visit Semenggoh rather than the Sepilok facility in Sabah. It seems that the Wildlife Department in Sarawak are not yet trying to make their facility a "tourism moneymaker" and the goal is still rehabilitation. They don't charge fees for cameras, videos, etc., one is not restricted to stand behind huge package tours, but can move about a bit more freely, and one can stroll about the grounds of the Botanical Research Forest (though not near the feeding area) which has some well-marked short trails. You could cover all of these in about an hour and a half and do some birding and floral/insect investigations. Bako would be far better for wildlife though.

35

Radson- The rape of a female Indonesian cook was reported by Birute Galdikas herself in her "Reflections of Eden". Spaulding also refers to it, trying to follow up on what exactly happened. It's the only incident that I know of like this, though it is supposed to have been the same male that man-handled Julia Roberts!

YOUNG male orangutans without territories have been observedbyJohn Mitani to pursue and forcibly copulate with females even when they are anestrous. The fmales are often with a young infant, and there is no physiological rationale for mating success at such a time. It may simpy be due to utter inexperience, a "shot in the dark" strategy, or have some yet unexplained adaptive rationale.

36

Hi Laszlo, I`m writing in the hope you`ll read this and be able to help.

My Girlfriend and I are planning on visiting the Batang Ai National Park sometime in September.
I`ve read on anoter post that you did this independently and I`d like like to ask you some questions about this.

You said you got a boat to the Ranger`s post for 200R - where did you actually get the boat from ? Did you have to arrange it privately, or is there some kind of regular service ? How long was the journey in total - a good couple of hours ?

Is the Longhouse where you stayed easy to find ? How near is it to the Ranger`s post ?

When you decided to return, how did you actually arrange for a boat to take you ? and was it the same price (200R)

I know you mentioned that Organgutans may be difficult to see, but was there much other wildlife ?

I hope you`ll be able to help (of course, anyone else out there who knows anything, please feel free to post!!!!)

Thanks!

37

...Tabin info. Lowest price for the resort is 504 Ringitts per person (50% markup for solo travellers) this gives you 3days 2nights, guides, night drives, food all included. It's a last minute walk-in price from the office in Lahad Datu. It's not great value compared to what you can do on the Kinabatangan and Orang'utans are rare around the resort headquarters, which are unfortunately right on the edge of the rain forest. I did see nests when I was there recently, but none of the big orange fellas. There is a trail which leads into the park to the primary forest - it's 21km and could be done as a two day or more trek. The resort would organise a guide for this.

Options for budget traveller seem limited, the park won't give you any accomodation and trails are limited to those around the resort anyway.

That said, it's a very peaceful place and hornbills, elephants and smaller mammals are very common.

Luckily I found eight orang-utans on the Kinabatangan... so i'm happy

38

Hiya,

I've just visited Sepilok and took a trip along the Kinabatangan river before I read Lazlo's post that started this thread. I have a couple of quick questions that I'm curious about. I'm particularly interested in any info with respect to Sepilok as it seemed well run when I visited the area recently.

1.) "Where many such tame orangutans have been relesed into a habitat occupied by wild ones, the latter were effectively eliminated by the newcomers who outcompeted them for food in the area and introduced human diseases." Is there published evidence to support this and is there any links to such research?

2.) "The orangutans in these situations are also constantly exposed to human diseases." Same again, is there published evidence to support this and is there any links to such research?

3.) Is possible to tag Orangutans (electronically for example) and track released rehabilitated orangutans to see how they fare in the wild?

Regards,
hdb

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I have recently returned from the Danum Valley, having opted to stay at the Borneo Rainforst Lodge. The price looks steep (US$730 for two of us for three days two nights, including airport transfers, all meals, guides, etc.), but I felt it was well worh it. The hikes through the primary rainforest there are really amazing. We did see orangutans - actually three of them on the first day, as well as lots of other wildlife.

I must say I was impressed with how the BRL is run. Almost all of the employees are locals, and feel a real commitment to the environment and the wildlife.

We visited Kinabalu Park after the Danum valley, and the contrast was so great that we were really disappointed in Kinabalu. We went to Kinabalu for the plant life, but found the environment altered by the hordes of people there. I expect we would have enjoyed it more had we gone to Kinabalu before the Danum Valley.

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I'm flying to Banjarmassin in Kalimantan and have a week before I fly back to Jakarta. I would like to see Orang Utans but is it possible in this area? If not then, as a conservation biologist, I would be keen to see other aspects of Borneo before they are logged/mined away - Any suggestions?

G

41

Your information is informative and sadly quite true BUT do not include Camp Leakey in your derision as it truly does remarkable work with and for the orangutans.

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Anyone know the current situation at CABANG PANTI in Gunung Palung reserve Kalimantan Barat? Have not read many posts recently and would like to find out any info on the logging situation as well as the research station.

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Sukau B and B

I would like to add this place to the list of possibilities regarding the Kinabantang river. We spent about four days in Sandakan trying to find out the best way for us to visit the Kinabantang, best chance for wildlife without having to join on eof the crowded, and expenseive, tours. Unfortunately it seems in Sabah that everythingis pushed towards pricey tours at all times. We wanted to avoid Uncle Tans primarily because of the 600 visitors a month number and the 280rm per trip number. 280 rm seems an extortionate amount of money for a tour that, despite being advertised as 3D/2N is actually closer to 1.5D/2N, of which the majority of the main day you are left with free time to "play volleyball or soccer". er no thanks.

Instead we decided to go to Sukau B and B. This place is the end of the road, literally. You can get a bus from Sandakan bound for Semporna or Tawau and ask to be dropped at the sukau turn-off, this should cost 10Rm. From there there are regular mini-buses all the way to Sukau, 40km, which cost 20Rm. Put off by what we thought was an expensive price we hitched. It might have been worth the 20 though we know people that only paid 15. It took us about 8 rides, a bit of walking and about two hours along one of the worst roads in malaysia. It was easy to get rides however, most of the traffic is going to the surrounding palm oil plantations, surely the scourge of sabah, and one rich owner even gave us two bottles of water each for the journey.

Once at Sukau B and B you immediately feel relaxed however. The rooms are 20Rm per person, dinner is 10rm per person, and I have never seen such huge prawns. Jungle walks around are obviously free and the boat "safari's" are very reasonably priced, and charged per boat, up to 6 people. We took an evening cruise for 80Rm, for the boat, between two of us, saw loads of wildlife including the proboscis monkeys and a sleepy python.

The next morning the wildlife was not so prevalent, although I attribute it to being behind the horrifically overpacked boats of the pricey eco-lodge resorts, loud groups scaring the animals away! Still, we shared this boat with another couple so the price per person was 20rm.

The rooms are clean and spacious, though basic, the young guy who does the boat trips has good english and an even better eye for wildlife. The setting right at the end of Sukau is perfect as well.

I don't want this to sound like a brochure or a thinly-veiled advert but after spending four days looking for an alternative to the over-priced, over-packed tours I was so glad I found this, for me it was the highlight of Sabah.

We did not see wild orangutans but everyone else we have met who stayed there did, and crocodiles as well. We were just unlucky and the weatehr was not condusive to wildlife spotting.

Cheers,

Alsch

Travel teaches how to see - African proverb
Big African Trip

Whichever route you take, let it be your own
Lonesome Traveller

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Just got a reply via e-mail from the Chief Researcher at Cabang Panti. She reports that they are currently working on the research station at CABANG PANTI but it will not be open until next summer most likely. This is info concerning the research station not Gunung Palung N.P.