Basic Information about OrangutanThe orangutans are two species of great apes known for their intelligence, long arms and reddish-brown hair. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, they are currently found only in rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, though fossils have been found in Java, Vietnam and China. They are the only surviving species in the genus Pongo and the subfamily Ponginae (which also includes the extinct genera Gigantopithecus and Sivapithecus). Their name derives from the Malay and Indonesian phrase orang hutan, meaning "man of the forest". The orangutan is an official state animal of Sabah in Malaysia. (Extracted from Wikipedia)
In Malaysia there are many rehabilitation centers which were set up by Malaysian government with cooperation with World Wildlife Federation to protect and preserve Orangutan. In this post I will take you to Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation CentreUnlike in a zoo, the Orang Utan at Semenggoh Rehabilitation Centre are set free in a 740-hectare forest reserve. Here, the Orang Utans are being nurtured to readapt themselves to the jungle life. The Centre, 32 kilometres south of the Capital, is one of many outdoor attractions of Kuching.
A 30-minute leisurely stroll on the specially built plankwalks from the entrance to the Rehabilitation Centre also provides an opportunity to view various species of trees from, the rainforest and some tropical fruit trees.
The Centre opens daily from 8.35am - 3.45pm including Sundays and Public Holidays.
A visit to the Centre is recommended at or before the feeding times for the orang Utan. The feeding times are :8.30am - 9.00am
11.45am - 12.00noon
3.00pm - 3.15pm
Besides the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, there are three Wildlife Sanctuaries in Sarawak. These are areas designated for the protection and preservation of wildlife, particularly the rare species, in the state.
These are the:-
Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in Lubok Antu, located in the Second Division of Sri Aman,
Sibuti Wildlife Sanctuary in Miri,
Samunsan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sematan and
Matang Wildlife Centre near Kuching.
I will try to features each one of these Wildlife Sanctuaries in Sarawak in my future post so stay tuned to Tourist Attractions in Malaysia by subscribing to our feeds.
