On my trip last year to Malaysia Sabah (Borneo), I was lucky enough to have had two encounters with the local wildlife that I considered to be a humbling experience. Snorkeling in a sea where wild turtles were swimming alongside you and almost bumping into your body was an amazing sensation, perhaps only to be surpassed by the meeting of our distant relatives - The Orangutans.
Unfortunately I did not get to meet these guys in the wild. The truth is that their habitat is disappearing fast to make way for palm oil plantations, as well as timber being a valuable commodity ensuring that the destruction of their forest home is escalating. It is estimated that their are just 15,000 Orangutans left in the wild.
Enter the
Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in the Malaysian Sabah District of North Borneo, founded in 1964 to rehabilitate orphan orangutans like our friends above. The centre provides a safe haven for the Orangutans and many of the residents simply would not be alive without the help and love of the staff and volunteers at the centre.
I had two wonderful days at the centre, and our Orangutan friends made sure that I left with some memorial images. I have selected a few of my favourite shots to share with all of you PC users as a free screensaver - Sorry Mac users. I hope that the screensaver will offer you an insight into the personalities of the Seplilok residents - and the amazing work that the centre undertakes to ensure that these guys have a safe and loving existence.
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