Orangutan
The Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is a species of great Ape. Known for their intelligence, they live in trees and are the largest living arboreal mammal. They are native to the rainforests of Indonesia (Borneo and Sumatra) and Malaysia.
Orangutans are solitary animals with males and females coming together only to mate. Orangutans are generally passive but the males, which are significantly larger than females (weighing approx 120 kg), can be fiercely territorial. The female will raise its young for 6 to 8 years before independence and only gives birth about every 5 to 7 years. Orangutans are opportunistic foragers, eating seasonal fruits of the forest, termites and bark and every night they fashion a nest of branches in which to sleep.
At Tanjung Puting National Park is situated Camp Leakey, which has been the centre of orangutan research for 35 years under the guidance of Professor Birute Galdikas, making this the longest single species investigation by a single person. Tourists can visit three sites in Tanjung Puting, where ex-captive wild-living orangutans are fed.
Steve Schill has put together a detailed journal of his experience up the Sekonyer River to see the Orangutans at Camp Leakey. We would like to thank Steve for some of the photos used on this website and also extend his message to visit the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) to help protect the remaining orangutan habitat.
Proboscis Monkey
The Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus), known as Bekantan in Indonesian, is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey endemic to Borneo. The distinctive trait of this monkey is the long nose, which is especially large in males (up to 10 cm), which acts as a resonating chamber to amplify the warning calls.
Proboscis are dimorphic with males (up to 24 kg) much larger than females (12 kg). The male is also noted for its permanent penile erection. The proboscis has a large belly designed to digest otherwise unpalatable leaves by fermentation. It is a good swimmer and leaper and can often be seen crossing rivers. It sleeps by choice in the trees hanging over the river making sightings easy.The Orangutans Of BorneoOrangutans are seriously under threat due to the wide scale deforestation occurring in Borneo. Estimates put the rate of native forest destruction by loggers and palm oil plantations at the equivalent of 300 football fields every hour. In the 2008 Guiness Book of Records, Indonesia is included for being the country with the highest rate of deforestation. Many baby orangutans are orphaned as the forests are destroyed and the ‘lucky’ ones end up in rehabilitation centres. Carers working with these babies stay with them as surrogate mothers 24 hours per day to feed and support them. They are all highly traumatized and grieving. For further information and film footage visit:
What You Can ExpectIn Tanjung Puting National Park there are a number of key re-release sites where rescued orangutans have been returned to the wild. There are also wild orangutans in the Park. The released orangutans come every day to the feeding sites in the forest except when there is abundant fruit on the forest trees (usually around March) . This is a wonderful opportunity to watch them up close eating, playing and interacting.
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