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Interact with baby orangutans in Borneo, Malaysia

Interact with baby orangutans in Borneo, Malaysia

It is often in places so entrenched in mystery, in the very heart of the wilderness, that you tend to find the most warmth and kindness demonstrated by your fellow human. This is evident in the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, just out from the town of Sandakan, in which over 40sqkm (25mi) of forest reserve is dedicated to nursing injured and orphaned orangutans back to health.
 
Famously native to Borneo, there is no other place where you would be able to see or interact with baby orangutans in such close proximity. Tremendously charming and joyful creatures, the Centre's new-built outdoor nursery houses abandoned young and toddlers, who are learning essential skills necessary for them to survive back in the wild once more. Guests are invited to watch behind a glass viewing area as the cheeky orangutans try and wind up their trainer by sneakily trying to walk across the ground instead of practising their climbing skills. Whilst they are technically not allowed to really leave the nursery, very occasionally you may see a mischievous baby orangutan escape the watchful gaze of the keeper and play outside.
 
Visitors to the Rehabilitation Centre are also invited to watch the orangutans at feeding time. Happening once in the morning and once mid-afternoon, there is no sight quite like the slow rustle in the trees and the ropes shaking before hoards of orange fur swarms through as hungry Orangutans run to grab their breakfast.
 
Whilst there is plenty in the sanctuary to keep families occupied for the day, the centre can also be explored further due to its close proximity to walking trails that lead into the rainforest. By registering at the visitor reception, guests at the centre can take one of a range of trails between 250m and 4km, engrossing themselves in Borneo's breathtaking rainforests (and perhaps spotting a few more orangutans themselves in their natural habitats).

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