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SemenggohMay 17, 2005
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Hanging around
Mum and baby
Ginger ninjas!
| Orang-utans (literally man of the forest) are only found in the wild in Borneo and Indonesia. Rapidly declining in number, Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is one of the few places to see them in the wild. Orang-utans here are trained to live back in the wild if they have been orphaned or illegally caged etc. When ready, they are set free into the local rainforest but often return for food. Good job they are nearly always hungry as we were lucky enough to see about 6, some with babies in tow, emerge from the surrounding jungle to eat fruit and surprisingly boiled eggs! Seeing them arrive was like watching invaders from another planet, crashing through the trees with surprising agility and speed. We were shocked by the way they used their hands and feet interchangeably and often couldn't tell if they were upside down or not. They were like acrobats in the trees, somersaulting and cart wheeling their way along. One mother with her baby came within a metre of us, close enough to touch. After grabbing a few handfuls (and feetfuls) of bananas she was off, scaling to the top of the trees. She looked Amy directly in the eye and for a minute Greg feared she may be whisked into the trees (oh well, maybe next time?). |
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