Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation CenterApes are primitive form of life still alive, but soon to be extinct species. With growing human interference and industrialization, most of the rare wildlife has come to the verge of extinction. Orangutan apes also come in the category of these endangered species. Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation center is the effort of Malaysian Forest Department towards preserving these rare species.
Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation center, established in 1964, is a 43 sq km of protected land of Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve, in Sabah district of Malaysian Borneo. The facility is an effort towards bringing the apes back to wildlife, where they belong. Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation center was established with the purpose of providing medical care to orphaned and injured Orangutans. These Orangutans are mostly retrieved from the captivity of poachers, hunters, logging sites and other similar unauthorized facilities. Sepilok Orangutan rehabilitation center at present is home to 60-80 Orangutans living freely in the wild. Though the center primarily was established as facility for Orangutan rehabilitation, other wildlife is also treated here. A visitor to the facility can have the opportunity to see Sun Bears, Gibbons Sumatran Rhinos and occasionally injured Elephants. Over the years, along with its primary goal of Orangutan rehabilitation, Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation center has started taking community education initiatives also. These include conducting educational trips and programs on wildlife rehabilitation, human impact on wildlife and many more related topics. Rehabilitation process The rehabilitation process of Orangutans brought at the Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation center involves a series of steps followed for smooth and successful rehabilitation. It involves following steps: Admission Majority of apes brought to sanctuary are babies rescued from the confinement of people illegally keeping them or those who were involved in trade practices. On arrival at the center, detailed examination is done and primary treatment is administered. Quarantine Once injuries are treated, apes are put in through a quarantine phase of 3-6 months. This eliminates any possibility of cross contamination with other apes. It involves treatment of communicable diseases like TB or other bacterial infections. Nursery After being quarantined and all ready to be released in the wild, depending upon adaptive skills, orangutans are either admitted to nursery stage or directly moved to later stages. At nursery, skills like tree climbing, nest building, food search are taught specially to baby orangutans that are taken away from their mother at an early age. Stage A (Out Bound School) and Stage B (Survival Training) Both these stages focus on making these apes totally independent. The support from rehab center for food, shelter and emotional support is gradually reduced till apes have completely recovered and are all-set to live independently in wild. Opening hours and Admission rates The Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation center is open to tourists and researchers alike. However, visitors are restricted to walkways only. Researchers are also required to take prior permission from Department of Forest, under the Ministry for tourism and Environment Development. The center is open from 8.00 am till 5.00 pm. It also houses an exhibition hall which is open on all days except Fridays from 9.00 am till 4.30 pm.
The center charges a nominal fee of RM (Malaysian ringgit) 5.00 for MyKad Holders and RM30.00 for others. For visitors below 18 years of age, a relaxation of 50% on original price is provided. Use of cameras, phones with camera and camcorders involves additional charge of RM10.00. With its striving efforts to preserve jeopardized Orangutans, Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation center has succeeded in motivating people at both national and international levels towards protection of endangered species. This has also made the center a renowned habilitation project worldwide. |