As part of their rehabilitaion, food is left at various points in the forest, getting increasingly further from civilisation to gradually reduce their reliance on human contact. The food provided - milk and bananas is deliberatly bland so that its becomes boring for them and hence they look to gather their own food. They also have nurseries where the very young orphans are trained to climb ropes and vines, things they would normally learn in their first six years from their mothers. Some of the released orangs never avail themslves of the food, others do for varying lengths of time.
We were allowed only to feeding station one, for the newly released. Twice a day, rangers climb onto a platform which has ropes attached to the surrounding trees and we waited in silence. Then a rope moved, then another and then an orang came into sight, swinging on the ropes, oblivious to us watching. It was magical. In all maybe six turned up, two mothers with young babies a few adolescents, their humanlike DNA evident for all to see. We were both sure that we recognised family..... Seeing the tiny babies, born in the reserve to previously rescued orangs, clutched to their mum as she swings along the ropes was both lovely and testament to the success of this programme.
When we went back this afternoon there was a real air of excitement about the place. The staff were telling us about a wild adult male who was around and they were hoping he might show his face. He has not been seen for four years, so they weren't hopeful but nevertheless, they were all out in force, looking slightly apprehensive. We make our way into the centre of the reserve and a few monkeys were jumping, one getting a little close for comfort. Then Ant looks up and silently (you have to be silent when in the reserve) points out a huge animal swinging through the trees, Ant was the first to spot CID, this elusive, wild male.
No wonder the staff were a little apprehensive - he is massive and as the dominant male has different facial features, fleshy facial flanges and a throat pouch, much bigger and much more solidly built than the rest. He was quite terrifying as he approached. Just time to get a couple of pictures before he dropped down to the forest floor and out of sight, frankly with a silent sigh of relief from Gill! We thought that was it, how lucky were we to see not only another wild orangutan but such a rare one.
More orangutans came in, mothers with babies, young toddlers of a couple of years old finding their way, young males, fascinating. There were many macaque monkeys around as well, they were fun to watch, but the orangs treated them with derision and the occassional swipe. Milk and bananas all eaten, the orangs started to drift away then suddenly CID appears again and leaps onto a rope and he makes his way to another platform and studies the few of us who are left. It felt like we had changed places as he swept his piercing gaze over us all, seeming to take in every detail of our appearance and deciding what to do next. How an animal with his bulk had managed to move from the forest floor where we had last spotted him to his new place was a mystery, none of us, including the experienced rangers had heard a single leaf rustle as he moved.
So a fitting last day in Sabah, another magical one in our Borneo adventure as tomorrow we move to the bright lights, decent coffee, posh hotel and civilisation of Kuala Lumpur. All of Borneo has been amazing, a real adventure place and every day has produced special memories, we have done and seen such a lot. The only downside is that it has gone too quickly.......
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