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Sandakan is hailed as the gateway for ecotourism destinations wherein cultural heritage is the main attraction. Out of the several interesting places in Sandakan, the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary is considered to be the most visited tourist destination.
The orangutans are only found in the island of Sumatra Indonesia and Borneo; while the Bornean Orangutan can only be seen in Borneo. Thus, visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary provides you a rare opportunity to have a close encounter with these endangered species.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
Tourists come all the way to this place just to have a close encounter with the orangutans. A trip to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary provides its guests an opportunity to get a glimpse of the “Wild Man of Borneo”.
Opened in 1964, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was the first official rehabilitation project for the rescued orangutans. This center trains orphaned orangutans to survive in the wild; thus, they are released from care as soon as they are ready. As of today, they have already released several Orangutans into the Kabili-Sepilok Forest, which is located near Sandakan.
Your trip to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary
During the trip, you’ll encounter younger orangutans since most of the mature apes are already self-sufficient. As a result, they were successfully rehabilitated and released into the surrounding forests.
Younger Orang Utans tend to be cheekier and more playful. So, during the trip, expect to see one or two orangutans come up the platform and take a closer look at you.
Though the orangutans are the stars of the sanctuary, long tailed and pig tailed Macaques also join the crowd during feeding times, hoping for an easy meal.
Feeding time
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Feeding time is the main highlight of your visit. We advise you to be there early so you could witness the entire event. The orangutans start to gather before the feeding session starts. If you plan to get a tour, don’t worry. You’ll be given enough time to watch the feeding session.
Feeding times are as follows:
Morning: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Afternoon: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Tour
You can book a half day tour to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Alternatively, you can also book a whole day tour so you can visit the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary and the Labuk Bay Sanctuary, where you can see the Proboscis Monkeys.
