Watch Orangutans In The Wild
Ticked off
Hear branches creak overhead in a Borneo rainforest, then look up into the calm, curious face of a wild orangutan.
The adventure
It starts with a sound in the canopy, a slow creak and swish of leaves, and a guide pointing upwards. High above, a shaggy, copper-red ape is hanging by one long arm and one foot, peeling fruit with the other hand and looking down at you as if you're the one worth watching.
At Sepilok in Sabah, rescued and orphaned orangutans learn to live in the forest again, and semi-wild adults swing in to feeding platforms on ropes and vines. Along the Kinabatangan River, a dusk boat trip can bring fully wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys and hornbills. In Kalimantan, you can float up the Sekonyer River on a wooden klotok houseboat to Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting. Watching a mother move through the trees with a baby clinging to her side feels uncannily familiar.
In Malay, orang hutan means person of the forest, and it fits. They're the largest tree-dwelling animals on Earth, a big male's arms can span more than two metres, and they live only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.
Why it’s epic
- There are three orangutan species, Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli, all critically endangered.
- Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre has been returning orphaned orangutans to the wild since 1964.
- Young orangutans stay with their mothers for around seven or eight years, one of the longest childhoods in the animal kingdom.
- The Kinabatangan River is one of the best places in Malaysia to see wild orangutans, plus proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants.
What it is
Orangutans are great apes found only on Borneo and Sumatra.
How to do it
Visit Sepilok in Sabah, Tanjung Puting in Kalimantan or Bukit Lawang in Sumatra.
Top tip
Use a licensed guide and keep your distance.
Need to know
- Sepilok is just outside Sandakan, so fly to Sandakan via Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu.
- Keep at least 10 metres away and don't visit if you're ill, as orangutans can catch human diseases.
- Expect heat, humidity and leeches in the forest; long sleeves, leech socks and insect repellent help.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 to 3 days
- Best time to go
- All year
- Fly into
- SDK airport
Entry fees and river lodges are reasonable; the long-haul flights to Borneo make up most of the cost.
Sample itinerary
- Day 1Fly to Sandakan (Borneo) or Medan (Sumatra)
- Day 2Sepilok rehabilitation centre's feeding platforms, or trek into the jungle at Bukit Lawang
- Day 3A boat trip on the Kinabatangan River for wild orangutans and proboscis monkeys
Do it yourself
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Watch Orangutans In The Wild” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.