Day 176 Kuching (Semenggoh Oraangutans Sanctuary)

This is "Delima" who currently lives at the Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary (one of only four sanctuaries in the world) which attempts to rehabilitate and release orphaned or illegally caged orangatangs.

Delima is amongst 23 current residents. You can see from the chart they manage to breed within the sanctuary too.

I'd been given a tip to arrive early before the nine am feeding and could not beleive my eyes as the only person there with the keepers I looked into a rustling tree above me. Inside the sanctuary there are no fences and these wild animals are free to roam. There have been two bites on humans that got too close this year - both by Delima - who the guides describe "as a bad one".

There are feedings twice daily but only a handful of the orangatangs appear and quite often none at all. The keeper explained feeding is necessary because being a sanctuary although running to many acres the jungle itself will not produce enough of the food.

Just before the visitors arrived en masse I captured a couple of video clips. Please double click on the play button on the bottom left corner of the picture.

Video clip of Delima arriving to eat.

Video clip of Delina finding a cocionut with Selina her yopungster arriving hot on her heels!

An unforgettable experience to meeet these animals who are only a few genes and a couple of trainers away from ourselves. I then went to the Sarawak museum to see an Orangutang skeleton and the similarities with our own form are uncanny. Except we cannot break open a coconut husk with our teeth.

Sarawak museum where the stuffed animals are a bit tired looking or its a case of "taxidermy gone wrong". Nonethless an interesting place to visit and see an example of a traditional Longhouse setting.

As well as the Sarawak museum I thought I'd educate myself in the way of the main religion here in Malaysia by visiting the wonderful Islamic museum pictured above. In addition to explaining the religion there are many exhibits showing Islams contribution to world science, astrology, economics etc.

What a great day. The reason I'd come all this way to Kuching in Borneo was to see the mighty Orangutang. Lets here it for all the good work by the nice people at http://www.sarawakforestry.com/ who are trying to ensure this species and many others are still there for future generations.