Big Five – FeedThere is certainly plenty to take in when you visitMalaysia. From cities to temples to wide open land, you’ll want to experience everything you possibly can before you head back home. Before you leave, you will definitely want to take a trip to Semonggok Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and be sure to bring a camera or video camera with you!
Semonggok Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is located about 30 minutes (driving time) south of Kuching. Once you arrive, you’ll have to march off into the jungle to see just what the Centre provides for the creatures there, but it is well worth the legwork. Within the Centre, you will discover a place absolutely full of orangutans.
In this protected section of the rainforest, you can stand by while orangutans roam freely. Many orangutans at the Centre were rescued from captivity, while others are being treated for injuries. As many as possible are released into the wild. Indeed, many of them will sometimes leave the Centre on their own. But there are still plenty of orangutans to see and it isn’t hard to get some truly stunning close-up shots of youngsters, mothers with their babies, and giant males. You can watch as they lounge, eat, play, and more.
The orangutans are taken care of by the workers at the Centre who teach them how to live in the wild again, giving them valuable skills they would normally learn from their own families in the jungle. The Centre gives every orangutan the chance at a normal life again in the jungle. There is even a breeding program at Semonggok, so your chances at seeing little orangutans playing are quite high.
As you travel to Semonggok, you can always make a quick stop at the ethno-botanical gardens and view their amazing collection of rainforest plants. Soak up as much of Malaysia as you can as you travel by asking about the jungle trails or forest walks at Semonggok. You can take a tour that includes some of these paths, giving you a more immersive look at the world the orangutans live in and a place that is so very far from where many of us live today. It’s like stepping into a completely different world that is both stunning and full of wonder.
Semonggok Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is definitely one location that will be the highlight of your Malaysia trip. Donations are always welcome to help keep the Centre running and so more orangutans can be helped each and every day. You’ll watch in delight as the orangutans interact with one another as well as the people who work there. One look into their eyes, and you’ll wonder – are they wondering what you are thinking just as you are?
Take some time to see the Centre during your trip. It is something that you will remember and treasure seeing forever. Your images and videos will be excellent to show friends and family as well as to share online. And perhaps sharing what you’ve seen will encourage others to visit Semonggok as well – a great way to keep the Centre running and for people to keep orangutans living well in the jungles!
