Warning – The following content contains an excessive amount of good-looking animal pictures, many of whom are uninhibitedly exposed positions. There is also a certain amount of “alpha male” behavior going on, bullying other males and forcing female submission. This is not unlike some current political figures.
Sepilok, an area near Sandakan, is known for its wildlife rehabilitation centers for Orang Utans and Sun Bears, and a preserve for Proboscis Monkeys. The rehabilitation centers are not the same kind Amy Winehouse refused to go to. These are for rescued animals, trying to get them healthy and, if possible, back into the wild.
The experts at these centers have found the Orang Utans to be very teachable, so they are training them to eat good food (more vegetables) and less sugary items (fruit), before being release back into the wild.
The effort seems to be working, and they are now applying similar practices to the Sun Bears.
Orang Utans
We first went to the nursery, walking through amazing jungle to get there. For babies born there, the mom stays with them in the nursery.
Some of the trees were incredibly tall. This is secondary growth. The oldest can be 1000 years old and twice as tall.
Proboscis Monkeys
One of the palm oil plantation owners has set aside a part of his plantation with mangroves for a preserve for the proboscis monkeys. He had several different feeding platforms for the different tribes. They don’t play well together, though we only saw one tribe.
While we were waiting, an Oriental Pied-Hornbill showed up for a snack –
Feeding time for the monkeys. There was an alpha male, and several young males, each of the latter of which kept their distance from the alpha, sneaking in for morsels of food.
Sun Bears
The abhorrent practice of bear bile farming, prevalent in parts of Asia, inflicts immense suffering. Bears, primarily Asiatic black bears (moon bears) but sometimes Sun bears as well, are confined to cramped cages and subjected to painful, invasive bile extraction from their gallbladders. This cruel industry, driven by demand for traditional medicine despite the availability of effective synthetic and herbal alternatives, condemns these animals to a life of chronic pain, disease, and psychological trauma.
Sun bears, the world’s smallest bear species, distinguished by their characteristic chest markings, are also vulnerable to this exploitation.
The bears are kept in different areas in order to prevent the males from doing nasty things to each other.
Amazing!
The resemblance to our current President in some of these photos is uncanny.l
There’s a place in Fl called the Center for the Great Apes. They mostly take care of orangutans, many of whom have been used (and formerly abused) in the film industry. Somehow Audie made friends with the ED when we were there and he ended up doing several paintings of the apes, one of which they turned into a poster for their gift shop!
AMAZING pictures of all the animals!
You two came up in my interview with Chery D. She was talking about how doors of possibilities are closing as she ages and one’s world becomes smaller and, “That’s one of the reasons why I’m so grateful to Steve and Ellen, because they’ve opened this, this great window up for a part of the world I would never have visited. It’s just grand. I mean, who’d a go to Kuala Lumpur for heaven’s sake, and ride the back of a motorcycle, or ride all those funiculars. Oh, it’s just wonderful. I fear for them and admiration of them and awe.” (quoted from an Otter recording) : )