A dream for anyone interested in wildlife. You will experience several of the world's most unique and fascinating areas. A visit to Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary will allow you to come in close contact with the remarkable "man of the forest" or fondly known as “Wild Man of Borneo”. It is interesting and exciting to watch as these large red apes, man's closest relative, are astonishingly gentle, highly intelligent and will gaze at you with almost disconcerting frankness.
Only 28 kilometres from Sandakan, and set in 43 square kilometres of beautiful virgin equatorial rainforest, the Sanctuary was begun in 1964 to help once captive orang utan learn to fend for themselves in the wild.
When a young orang utan is orphaned or kept as a pet, it is unable to live in its natural habitat on its own; much of its survival depends on accquired skills, which the young orang utan gets from its mother in its first five to six years of life. At the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre orphaned or pet orang utans are trained to live an independent life in their natural habitat. This process can be quite long, and includes a "kindergarten," enclosed and controlled areas, and in its last stage the open forest reserve in Sepilok, where the orang utans are free-roaming.
It is in this forest reserve where visitors get a chance to see the orang utans. The best time to view them is during feeding times at 10 a.m, and at 2.30 p.m, at the feeding plat-form. At other times access to the reserve is restricted to minimise disturbance of the apes. The trail to the feeding plat-form is a plank-walkway suitable for all visitors, and on the way you can marvel at huge and rare rainforest trees. If you observe the canopy closely, you will find orang utan nests, and with some luck a curious ape will meet you on the way to the platform.
The sanctuary also houses a couple of highly endangered Sumatran rhinos and occasionally other animals such as elephants.
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