Rainforest Discovery Centre (Sabah, Bornean Malaysia)

After visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre on a recent visit to Sabah, we went for the trifecta and also visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre.  Since the RDC is only 2 kilometers from the SORC, which is right next to the BSBCC, to not visit all three facilities would feel like wasting an opportunity.  But although it is very possible to visit all three facilities on a single day, the Rainforest Discovery Centre, which is located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, is worthy of spending an entire day.  The RDC features a number of trails through the forest, and has a reputation as a great place to see a variety of plants, flowers, and native birds.

Canopy Walkway

The most interesting feature of the RDC is the “Canopy Walkway”, a sturdy steel structure 347 meters long, 2 meters wide, and at its highest point, 25 meters tall. This marvel of engineering is designed to allow visitors to see the forest at the same level as the birds that fly from treetop to treetop.  

One drawback to the canopy walkway is that it features a floor that resembles a wire cage.  If you drop a few coins through the mesh, or worse, your car keys, it is very unlikely that you will ever be able to recover them.

Below is a view of the forest as seen from the canopy walkway.  It is quite a breathtaking sight.

The canopy walkway features 3 towers which will allow you to get even higher above the forest floor.

From the top of the tower, the surrounding area really looks far away.

View of the canopy walkway from the top of one of the towers.

A number of signboards explaining the resident birds are installed along the canopy walkway.

On our visit, we came along this young orangutan swinging only a few meters from the walkway. 

He seemed to be quite fascinated by the human visitors.  Since he did not run away, we ended up spending the better part of an hour quietly observing him.  The humans did not speak.  Neither did the orangutan.

His mother was watching the interaction from a distance in a nearby tree.  It was a very unique experience to spend so much time so close to a wild animal.

Visitor Building Rainforest Hall

The RDC features a visitor center which includes an exhibition hall and a plant discovery garden.  After visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre on the same day, we had only about 2 hours to explore the forest before the RDC’s closing time of 5:00 p.m.  As a result, I did not see the inside of the visitor building.  In retrospect, it would have been better to budget more time to explore this forest. 

Getting There

The Rainforest Discovery Centre is located about 45 minutes from Sandakan Town.  It is about 2 kilometers from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, and our group visited all three facilities on the same day.  (Please see separate posts about the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.)  Like the SORC and the BSBCC, the Rainforest Discovery Centre charges different entrance fees for Malaysian citizens and non-citizens.  Admission for Non-Malaysian adults was 15 Malaysian Ringgit, for non-Malaysian children aged 5 to 17 years old, 7 Ringgit, and it was free for children under 5. 

 

(Note: All photos in this post were taken during a visit on February 12, 2017.  The comments in this post are based on observations made on that day.  Conditions may have since changed.  Please check it out for yourself!)

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (Sabah, Bornean Malaysia)

In Borneo, orangutans often are the victims of human-wildlife conflicts.  Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, funded by the Sabah State Government and a number of charity organizations, is a facility designed to return orphaned, injured, or displaced orangutans back to the wild.  Since its opening in 1964, hundreds of orangutans rehabilitated there have been released into the Kapili-Sepilok Forest.  According to the Sabah Wildlife Department’s homepage, orangutans brought to SORC are first given a health examination and then put in quarantine for a period of time to prevent the spread of transmittable diseases.  The very young orangutans are kept in the “Nursery” where they are taught how to find food, climb trees, and build nests (which orangutans do every night).  As the orangutans progress, they are moved to the larger “Outdoor Nursery” where they are weaned off of provided food and human support.  Eventually, orangutans who graduate are released into the population of wild orangutans.

Feeding Platform

The SORC is open from 9 am to 12 pm, and from 2 pm to 4 pm daily.  (9 am to 11 am and 2 pm to 4 pm on Fridays.)  Visitors are encouraged to arrive at SORC by 9:30 am in order to witness the 10 am feeding, or by 2:30 pm in order to see the 3:00 pm feeding at the “feeding platform”.  When we arrived there at 10:15 on a Sunday, there was already a crowd of about 200 people.  We were told that most of these visitors were passengers from the same cruise ship, and that it wasn’t a typical crowd, but judging by the size of the viewing platform, I believe that large tour groups are not rare at SORC.

In the below photo, visitors are looking at the feeding platform which is on the right-middle edge of the photo.

At the time of our visit, there were two orangutans on the feeding platform.

 

I was told that the food provided at the feeding platform is only meant to supplement the diet of the released orangutans, and the daily menu is purposely kept monotonous in order to encourage the orangutans to become more independent and forage for more varieties of fruits and vegetation in the larger jungle.

Perhaps this orangutan was intimidated by the large group of visitors.  Maybe she was just anti-social.  She kept her back to the tourists as she ate.

Eventually, most of the visitors moved on to view the even younger orangutans at the “Nursery”.

With less people watching, the orangutan turned and faced our direction.

After all of the visitors had moved on, the viewing platform looked like this:

The Nursery

On the day of our visit, the younger orangutans were on view only until about 11:00 a.m.  We didn’t properly understand the directions from the staff, and by the time we arrived at the Nursery, the young orangutans had been returned to their indoor quarters and all of the tourists had also left.  Visitors to this building can sit in air-conditioned comfort while watching the young orangutans as they learn how to climb and swing on an apparatus quite similar to the “jungle gyms” found in elementary school yards.  I was told that the windows were actually two-way mirrors, and that while the visitors could see the young orangutans play outside, the orangutans could not see the visitors inside the building.

Educational Efforts - Opportunities for Animal Encounters

SORC had a number of displays with explanations about the facility and about the orangutans.  There were displays next to the indoor ticket counter.

At the gate leading into the forest, visitors were told to leave all bags and backpacks.

Staff explained that the orangutans and macaques in the forest were free to approach the human pathways, and on occasion, have been known to steal tourists’ belongings. While there are no organized opportunities for animal encounters, the wild animals may take it upon themselves to provide one.

Pathway leading to feeding platform.  Visitors must stay on the designated path.

The remnants of an orangutan nest.  Based on the dried condition of the leaves, I was told that this particular nest had been used weeks ago.

More explanatory signage located at the viewing platform.

Souvenirs and Food

In the SORC entrance building, there was a small souvenir shop.  There were T-shirts, postcards, keychains, refrigerator magnets, mug cups, and a variety of other branded and non-branded goods. 

Next to the SORC entrance building there was a small café with seating for about 30 to 40 people.

Interior of the café.  Prices were reasonable, and the food was tasty.  I ordered a chicken curry and rice dish for 11 Ringgit and a fresh lime juice which was 6 Ringgit.

Getting There

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is located about 45 minutes by bus from Sandakan Town.  I visited this facility while on an organized tour, and our private transportation took us to SORC straight from Sandakan Airport.  I would recommend consulting with your tour arranger or hotel concierge.  Admission differed for Malaysian citizens and non-citizens.  Admission for Non-Malaysian adults was 30 Ringgit, for non-Malaysian children, 15 Ringgit.  Additionally, there is a 10 Ringgit charge for each still camera or video camera you carry. 

(Note: All photos in this post were taken during a visit on February 12, 2017.  The comments in this post are based on observations made on that day.  Times and conditions may have since changed.  Please check it out for yourself!)