Orangutangs In The Borneo Rainforest

Here we are in Borneo, I have to admit I hadn't realised how much the trials and tribulations of life had got to us, until we came here and relaxed as we have never relaxed before. 

It's a noisy place all day and night and many of the noisiest little critters are never seen but it's a soothing sound that seems to calm your soul.

Everywhere you look there is some thing else to see, brightly coloured birds flit from branch to branch in the trees, there are beautiful coloured butterfly's gently fluttering from flower to flower.

Many weird and wonderful bugs of all colours, shapes and sizes crawl, jump or slither their way around. The flora here is unlike anything I have ever seen, the variety of trees and shrubs is so diverse and innumerable.

Our main reason for coming here is to see orangutans, 'The men of the forest' so we head off to the nearest sanctuary. They are being rehabilitated here, they feed them twice a day at a food platform but they are totally free to come and go as they choose, in this small pocket of rainforest. 

The first thing that strikes you when you see an Orangutan is their amazing colour especially against the backdrop of the trees. There is no photo nor documentary that can really portray how beautiful their vibrant orange hair really is, only a first hand experience can do that. Even in the darkness of the forest they seem to glow. 

While everyone is happily taking photos of the orang utans that are feeding on the platforms another one jumps out of the trees and lands on the walkway where everyone is standing, a ranger is close by and warns everyone to keep a firm hold of their camera, this orang utan has mischief written all over him as he sits and observes everyone. Some make the most of the photo opportunity as trying to get a good photo is difficult to achieve in the darkness of the forest.

Some people look wary, frightened even, well he did just appear from nowhere! Some choose to leave as he is too close for comfort but as he starts to walk along the railings of the walkway I decide to follow him, it's not everyday you get the chance to take a stroll with an orangutan and I was certainly going to make the most of it. I kept me distance and a watchful eye on him but all too soon the orangutan disappeared back into the forest. I didn't in my wildest dreams ever expect to take a stroll with an orangutan so close by and what a beautiful encounter it was with this amazing but sadly critically endangered species. 

Seeing the amount of deforestation here is shocking, there are miles upon miles of palm oil plantations, it's heartbreaking to see. However, thanks to wildlife tourism the government is at last making moves to change things and there will be no more plantations, I sincerely hope they do, I just hope it's not too little too late!

We visit another sanctuary where proboscis monkeys seem to be everywhere, hanging out in trees and by the food stations with their enormous noses and huge stomachs.

There is another troop of monkeys in the distance, The locals call them the jungle mafia, the silver leaf monkeys are much smaller and dark grey in colour but like all monkeys, opportunists when it comes to a free lunch. 

We visit another area in the same sanctuary, there are so many monkeys here both proboscis and silver leaf who are just hanging about, the younger silver leafs are bouncing around as if they have springs in their legs, it's so comical to watch them fight and play. 

The very young ones are a ginger colour and there is one in particular that steals our hearts. He looks younger and smaller than the rest but he is certainly the most lively and his mother is having a tough time trying to control him. This little fellow really is the rebel of the troop.

The proboscis don't seem at all bother by the little guys antics, nor by the few people that are visiting and taking photos of them from just a  few feet away.

When the ranger arrives with the food, the pecking order or hierarchy of the troop becomes apparent with a huge male at the centre. Many females and babies surround him as he sits there like a giant Buddha, it would seem both females and offspring all belong to him. 

It's been a bitter sweet experience being able to observe these beautiful animals in the small pockets of rainforest that still exists but my heart feels heaving having seen first hand how much of it has been destroyed. 

I was impressed with the sanctuaries we visited, they provide food twice a day but the wildlife remains free, the staff are all very passionate and this is certainly a very worthy rehabilitation programme. I wish there were more like it. 

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