Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Sarawak's Semenggoh centre cares for orangutan

Feeding time is the best time to visit the orangutans

An orangutan at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre

Crocodiles and other animals can also be found at the centre

Photos courtesy of and Copyright to Achong Tanjong and
Brunei Press Sdn Bhd

By Achong Tanjong

The Semenggoh Wildlife Centre in Kuching, Sarawak is one of the caring homes for almost 1,000 endangered mammals, birds and reptiles from dozens of different species throughout the region.

The centre continues to attract huge number of foreign and local visitors including those from Brunei Darussalam.

What makes the centre well-known is its orangutan rehabilitation programme. The centre is an interesting place to learn more about the nature of the orangutan.

Recently, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation announced the birth of a third baby orangutan. One of the babies, a female was born at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and another two orangutans were born at the Matang Wildlife Centre.

To date, there are 25 orangutans in the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, of which 14 - including the latest additions - were born at the reserve.

The Bulletin visited the centre last June during a mega familiarisation trip that was organised by Malaysia Tourism Brunei coinciding with feeding time, which is the best time to visit the centre.

Visitors are advised to follow rules and regulations when visiting the care centre. This is because the orangutans might look cute but visitors cannot trust them, as they are still wild animals. Visitors are advised not to use flash photography as this could scare or make them angry said the park warden.

The visit provides for the opportunity of lifetime to observe how orangutans are rehabilitated and trained to fend for themselves before being released back into the wild.

Visitors also have a chance to see semi-wild orangutans, ranging from tiny infants and boisterous adolescents to dignified adults, enjoying life in a secure natural habitat.

Established in 1975, the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre is situated within the boundaries of the Semenggoh Nature Reserve about 24 km from Kuching City. The area covers 740 hectares of virgin forest. Other animals found at the centre include honey bears, hornbills, porcupines, storks, eagles, barking deers and monkeys.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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1 comment:

  1. good info.. been there when I was having the trip

    ReplyDelete