2 Must do’s in Sandakan

Of course, the main reason to visit Sandakan is to catch a glimpse of the orangutans and honey bears. This is possible at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and the adjacent Sunbear Conservation Center, which is located about 25 kilometers north of Sandakan, Borneo.

1) Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

Ten years ago, there were 27.000 wild orangutans in the wild. Now there are only 15.000 left due to the disappearance of the jungle on Malaysian Borneo and Indonesian Sumatra. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is essential for the conservation of wild orangutans.

The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is located in the middle of Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sandakan, a jungle of 4,300 hectares. The rescue center (est. 1964), aims to take in displaced or orphaned orangutans and then release them back into the jungle as healthy monkeys. There is no guarantee that the monkeys will emerge from the rainforest. 

Feeding time!

We went for a visit at 10 AM during the feeding time. There is plenty of fruit to be found in the wild but some orangutans come to the feeding platform to get extra fruit or when they are nearby. No promises that you can see them. 

We were lucky after patiently waiting we saw our first Orangutan! But the best had yet to come. Suddenly a second orangutan came to the platform, swinging from the trees and cords. Dream come true! What majestic beasts!

Outdoor nursery

In addition to the feeding platform, you can also visit the ‘outdoor nursery’. Only young monkeys up to the age of 9 stay here. They learn to swing through the trees, among other things. You can also choose whether you look at this nursery from the busier room with air conditioning or the quieter room with fans. The windows in both rooms are blacked out for the monkeys, so they don’t see the tourists and don’t get used to people. We didn’t do this, however.

A visit to the rehabilitation center costs about 7 euros per person. For the use of a camera, you pay about € 2.50 extra. NB; you are not allowed to apply sunscreen or mosquito cream in the center, so do so before entering the rehabilitation center (the monkeys can get sick).

2) Sunbear Conservation Center

The Sunbear Conservation Center is located right next to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center since 2014. This center has the same goal: to capture and reintroduce honey bears into the wild. Honey bears have often been captured and used as pets or circus animals. The bears are threatened with extinction because of deforestation in Asia. They are also imprisoned for their meat or for use in traditional medicines.

The bears can be seen at the feeding platform and on the route over high footbridges to it. We have seen the honey bears eating, playing, and lounging

Fun fact: The honey bear is the smallest bear in its breed, with a maximum length of 150 cm and a weight of 60 kilos. It is not for nothing that the comparison is often drawn with the equally cute Winnie The Pooh. Also, check out the heart shape on his chest!

Wild

As a visitor you only see a very small part of the area that the center manages, the already slightly wilder bears stay further and further away to look for their own food in the forest. The bears are consciously given the same boring diet of potatoes and carrots every day so that they are stimulated to collect a more exciting meal for themselves. 

Life of a Passion