Kalimantan, Borneo
This is it! This is something I've been wishing to do for many years. Hubby can attest to that. A Borneo orang-utan tour. At last, my patience has paid off. This part of our journey was much anticipated by us both. We're having a boat tour holiday within our sailing holiday. Well, our sailing lifestyle is a bit more accurate.
Ourselves and 2 other couples from our sailing rally rented a boat together for 3 days. A 3 cabin boat you ask? How about 3 double beds shoved together in a row on the deck. You had better choose your companions carefully. This was not the luxury tour. Although having a guide, a cook, a captain and a boat boy sure felt like luxury to all of us. Said boat boy also delivered a constant supply of food, cleared the table and washed the dishes. Heaven!
The boat we were on is called a klotok. Apparently the name came about because the engines go klot tok tok. From the Kumia river we took a smaller river leading into the swamp forests of Borneo known as Tanjung Puting.
Our very own klotok
the top deck was ours, the rest of the boat is the staff's domain
The first research centre to study the Borneo orang-utans was set up here in 1971. Known as Camp Leakey, it was named after a world renowned paleo- anthropologist, Louis Leakey. Scientists and students from all over the world would come here to study these amazing primates. Camp Leakey is a rehabilitation centre to re-introduce orang-utans back into a natural habitat. There are 2 other rehab centres in the area and we were able to visit all 3 sites.
Because the orang-utans have been rescued, alot having been raised by hand, there is a feeding station at each centre. Teaching orang-utans to forage for themselves is not always easy so every day, just once a day, the rangers provide suitable food to ensure they have enough nutrition.
To be able to watch and study the orang-utans at each centre, and in the wild as we walked through the swamp forest, was an incredible experience. To see the power in their bodies as they climb, swing and jump from tree to tree is impressive. To see the gentleness in their touch with their babies is a special privilege indeed. These beautiful animals with their soulful eyes win your heart.
The alpha male of each centre took the platform at the feeding stations to eat his fill first. The alpha male sat and ate and stared at us. As if we were the exhibit and he indulged in lunch whilst observing us. At times he would stand, turn his back, then continue eating, as if dismissing us.
No other adult or adolescent male approached while he was there. The females were a different story. Some females with their young could approach, sit next to and eat with the alpha male. Others would sneak up and steal handfuls and mouthfuls of vegetables and scamper off to a tree to eat their score. It was clear to see which females were favoured, which were tolerated and which ones had to steal food or wait their turn. There is definitely an established hierarchy in each group.
Alpha male
Watching the dynamics within the family group, it is easy to see how closely related we are to the orang-utans. Take the young baby who was the quintessential hyperactive daredevil toddler. He was quite comfortable racing up and down the trees, swinging from one branch to another, hanging upside down and crawling all over mum. Up her back, over her head and reaching in to literally steal the food from her mouth.
There was the tiny newborn tucked against her mum's front, suckling, with little long fingered hands reaching out to grab and pull mum's hair.
Then there was the clingy preschooler who wouldn't let go of mum. When his hands were busy with food he was hanging on to mum with his foot. There was a mother and child hanging out with dad having a picnic and another adolescent female who kept mum between her and the gruff old alpha male.
Meanwhile the older adolescent males hung back in the trees waiting for their opportunity to swoop in when old Pa moved on. Whether for food or the girls, I don't know.
One adolescent male Hubby and I were observing as he sat in a tree above us decided to climb down to the ground. Right next to us. We stepped back to give him his space and he took a stroll through the small crowd of humans, just to let us know that this was his territory and we were the visitors. He hung out for a while, reminiscent of a tough gang leader keeping an eye on us.
Such magnificent creatures they all are, their eyes filled with knowledge and wisdom. You could almost see the eye rolling going through their minds as they sat patiently while we snapped 20 million photos of them.
The gibbon, known as the Agile Gibbon or Dark-handed Gibbon also calls this area home. The one and only one we sighted scampered done the tree, dropped in on the food, stuffed bananas in his mouth, snagged another handful then made a quick getaway. Twice. Love his style. Take the best bananas and run.
The other monkeys that were a rare treat to see in their natural habitat was the Proboscis monkeys. I could hear them coming. The rustling of leaves and the swaying of branches in the trees across the river announced their arrival. This was a large group that swung in and settled down to eat the leaves and the fruit of the trees. Once the sugar kicked in the younger ones got active. Swinging and jumping from branch to branch, chasing each other in their playground in the sky. The female proboscis has ginger hair and a turned up nose. The profile reminded me of The Grinch. Maybe this is where Dr Suess got his inspiration. The male, on the other hand, has a huge bulbous red nose that is quite something to see. Not what I'd call pretty, but he certainly stands out.
*it's the Grinch! *
note the bulbous nose on the male
This trip was everything and more than I anticipated. Spending hours in the company of all these very special primates, watching their habits and antics was just fantastic. To be able to observe a snapshot of their lives was a very special and incredible experience.
Until next time, Watusi Woman - primate privileged, out.
group hug
