Pusat Pemuliharaan Orang Utan Sepilok — Attraction in Borneo

No adherence to the Best Practice Guidelines for Great Ape Tourism

Compared to the adjacent Sun Bear Conservation Centre which has an abundance of information, at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, you won’t find any signage providing information on the orangutans. Nothing about habitat loss, deforestation, palm oil plantations, wildlife trafficking and the affect of agricultural expansion on orangutan populations. Information which is important to raise awareness, provide education and hopefully make positive change.

The lack of signage was most evident at viewing platforms where ‘keep quiet’ signs were non existent.

The viewing platform sits quite close to the public seating area which has a large capacity to cater for uncapped numbers of tourists. Children run about screaming and people talk loudly. Moments after feeding time, an orangutan emerged onto the platform. There was loud discussions and shrieks of joy from children, one man even clapped like it was a circus. People could stay and watch for as long as they pleased, all the while, the orangutan ate its food looking back at the people unfazed and clearly accustomed to seeing and hearing an abundance of humans. This is clearly detrimental to any chances of orangutan rehabilitation.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has provided global recommended standards in the Best Practice Guidelines for Great Ape Tourism which states, visits to great apes such as the orangutan should be capped to 1 visit per day for a maximum of 1 hour. It also recommends that children under 15years of age should be prohibited.

It is disappointing to see that this conservation centre has shown a complete disregard for the Best Practice Guidelines for Great Ape Tourism and appears to prioritise momentary gain rather than advocation, proper care and prioritization of...

I have visited Kuching’s center in Semenggoh twice and thoroughly enjoyed both experiences. After reading positive reviews about the orangutan center near Sandakan, I decided to make it my second priority for this trip. According to their website, the vision and mission of the Sabah Wildlife Department are: “To see people living in harmony with nature and to defend the wealth of natural heritage entrusted to them for generations to come. We, the staff of the Sabah Wildlife Department, are committed to the conservation of intact natural resources and biodiversity, and to ensuring that the country’s wildlife resources are used sustainably and equitably.” Unlike the Proboscis Monkey Center, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre generally receives overwhelmingly positive reviews from visitors and is supported by Orangutan Appeal UK. However, I must admit I was largely disappointed—particularly by the human resources. Many of the staff seemed unhappy, unapproachable, and at times even arrogant. While I understand they manage large crowds twice a day, I don’t believe this justifies such an unfriendly attitude. From the receptionists to the security personnel and rangers, I was not impressed at all. That said, the center itself is fairly well maintained. Still, I found the concrete structure and glass enclosure of Platform 1 quite disappointing. It hindered both visibility and photography, making Platform 2 the only viable option for a proper viewing and photographic experience. Despite having had many positive wildlife encounters in the past, this particular visit left me feeling...

Place is near Sandakan town, only about less than half-hours drive. Clean, with good toilet facilities. Very nicely kept. We were late for the first feeding at 9.30am, so we proceeded to watch the baby orangutan gym. It is where they were released to a play area and can have some jungle interaction. Viewing through a glass window. There are seats for visitors and it's air-conditioned. Toilet available here too. The bear sanctuary is right nest to this place, so while waiting for second feeding at 2 o'clock, you can go and catch a glimpse of the sun bears. We spotted a few running around and climbing trees. Telescope is provided for viewing the bears closer. It was drizzling and the centre thoughtfully provided some umbrellas. There is a platform that you walk on into the forest to view the bears. We continued to the orangutan viewing area but unfortunately no orangutan came out, so we jst proceeded to the gym area again. The forest guides will inform and guide you about where to go. After some time, we were told there are some orangutan that came out for feeding. We managed to see 2 adult female orangutans feeding! Please get your cameras ready, it was drizzling when we were ther, so a hat or poncho/umbrella might be handy. The platform can be slippery in places, so wear proper shoes, or walk carefully. It's about a 10-15 minutes walk to the gym area. Overall, love it, it's good to be in the middle of the jungle and be able to see and in the presence of such majestic wild animals. Definitely different from...