Sarawak

For my last entry, I will talk about the interesting place you have to go when you visit Sarawak which is Semengoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. 

Entrance of Semengoh Rehabilitation

In Kuching area, it is undoubtedly that Semengoh Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is one of the best and popular attractions for tourists. It's highly accessible, only half an hour from Kuching by public bus, and offers the opportunity of getting close to some highly mischievous, semi-wild orang-utan. The centre was established in 1975 and since then, it has been accepting the wild animals which have been found injured, orphaned, have been kept as illegal pets or rescued from captivity and reintroducing them back into the wild. There are many species of endangered wildlife in the centre but still the orang-utans are the star of attractions.

Warden feeds the orang-utans

As visitors want to visit Semengoh, the best time to visit Semengoh is during feeding time where it only takes half an hour. The semi-wild orang-utans are good time keepers as they will show themselves during feeding time. They descend from the trees of the surrounding forest reserve to offer visitors a unique wildlife experience and some excellent photo opportunities while they were playing with each other, swing about in the hanging vines and occasionally descend to ground level to 'charge' groups of tourists. Here, you can get the best and beautiful photos as the orang-utans are playing and move around. The orang-utans will stop playing around when the wardens arrive with the buckets of food and bottles of milk. They will follow the wardens walking along the plank walk or swinging from tree to tree.

You may have the chance to have a view of urang-utans closer but never get closer than 20 feet during feeding time because they will spend an hour or more. Usually orang-utans will spend an hour on their meals, playing and messing around with each other. 

FEEDING TIME

• Morning: Between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
• Afternoon: Between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

When the food run out, the orang-utans will stop playing and having fun and then they will move off into the forest back.

OPENING HOURS

• Hours: The Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is open seven days a week including holidays from 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and from 2 - 4 p.m. Feeding times are at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Cost: Adults - $1; children - 50 cents. The admission cost is for the feeding area only. A ranger will take groups of up to five people into the forest to look for orangutans for $13 per group.

CAUTIONS WHEN VISIT ORANG-UTANS

• Do not make any noise that will disturb the orang-utans.
• Turn the flash off on your camera!
• Never get closer than 20 feet to an orang-utans, they have been known to injure humans.
• Do not stay directly below orangutans if they are overhead.
• No food, water bottles, or smoking are allowed around the orangutans.

Resources:

http://www.emoss.com.my/info/TravelFeatures/national_park/semengoh/introduction.html
http://www.journeymalaysia.com/MR_semengoh.htm