Man of the Forest
We arrived in Sandakan and went to the recommended hostel only to find no vacancy. So, we carried all our stuff down the street to the next one… no vacancy there, either. Continuing down the street, 3rd time was the charm and we found a nice place with a good restaurant underneath it.
The next day, we took a bus to Sepilok which is known for its orangutan rehabilitation center. They find orphaned orangutans, raise them, and eventually get them to re-enter the wild. They call them “Orang Utan” which is malay for “Man of the Forest” because of their obvious likeness to humans.
We went to see them at the feeding time. It was great to watch them swing in along the ropes and trees to get to the feeding platform. Some ate vigorously, some wrestled and played with each other, and others took their food and swung off with it to eat it on their own. There was a baby that was particulary playful and a popular playmate with a lot of the adults.
dan
Tags: Malaysia, orangutan, sepilok
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