Miscellaneous Forum

I visited Semenggok (or Semenggoh, spelled in both ways) in Borneo's Sarawak and made a donation. Great "cousins" we have :)

Yes!!!many years ago my husband and I helped out..they are gentle creatures and very loving toward you. Feeding the little ones was just magic. If you get the chance do it,then please do it.Borneo is an amazing country but sadly the forest clearings and poachers have put the orangutans at risk.

Correct spelling is Orang Utan plural is Utans. Orang means person and Utan which originates from Hutan is jungle. So it is jungle man. I would have loved to have done it but I too haven't had the priveledge. I have only seen them in Sepilok Orang Utan Reserve in Sabah Malaysia. Yes, it is a pain in the arse that some governments do not manage the country's resources properly. And I am gonna come right out and say Malaysia is one of them. Whilst i not against the government of the day but there is mismanagement and how our future generation and even current one is getting more and more deprived of a healthy living planet!

We were so thrilled to hold their hands,they would actually come up to us and hold us,and looking into the depth of their eyes..they liked eye contact too!! Thanks for your post,it has rekindled wonderful travel memories and experiences with my beloved husband (dec).

Yes Keti,one could get up close to them back in the early 1980's when Rex and I travelled to Borneo,we had a great local guide we found in Sukan a remote village we were told about by the locals in Sandakan and who knew where the Orangutans were along the banks of the Kinabatangan River.It was a rough trek along the Kinabatangan River in a long boat to get there but we loved it. We camped out in the same spot for a week and that's where we were approached by them..they are not easy to find.I will look for some old pics we took amongst the hundreds of pics I have stored away. The travel industry has since had an inmpact of what you can do and see these days and most people visit the sanctuarys to see them.Rex and I considered ourselves very fortunate indeed to see them close up and personal in their own habitat. Cheers Dorrise

We also went back in 1999 and visited Semenggok (Sarawak) to see the orphans and it just was heartwrenching to know their parents had been 'killed' or stolen but also heartwarming to meet people who are doing their best to save them and return them to the wild (if the forests survive)we fell in love with them all over again.They are so loving..we didn't stay to look after them but like ant we made a donation.You can volunteer to stay and help but there is a process you need to undertake.

Koalas can be cuddled and pics taken in any of the zoos but rarely in the wild. During some of our bushfires wild Koalas sought out water and food from humans and allowed them to care for them. I have never known anyone outside a vet or zoo keeper to handle a Platypus,let alone cuddle one lol!!they are very shy creatures and live in the water,they also have a deadly claw and very fast swimmers.

I once cuddled and comforted a baby macaque. The baby was probably just under 3 months guessing, he's on milk and hung on to a piece of towel i the cage. It cried on and off i kept him company for as long as i could. He was so human like needing the warmth of his mom. I complained these animals cannot be caged and kept as pets and since, he's been returned to the wild. I really hope.

Glad to see active again on VT, Dorrise! I believe you can still view them from the Kinabatangan River - as I told the OP on her similar posts, there are rehabilitation programmes in Sabah and even programmes to plant forests to provide habitat continuity in areas broken up by deforestration. Try to catch Michelle Yeoh in one of those Discovery Channel/National Geographic kind of TV programmes! I haven't been to Sabah but went on a field trip which included the Orang Utan Island ina northern Peninsular Malaysia (which is some what controversial since they aren't native here)! Here the humans have to watch their primate cousins from a caged enclosure! ;)

I would also love to see and hold a koala, I did not think you could do that.

Thanks sheherzad,I am taking one day at a time. kodi01,yes!you can cuddle a koala in zoos and sactuary's,it is a tourist attraction to have your pic taken.

I didn't know I could do that, Dorrise! Missed the opportunity when I went to Featherdale years ago! Damn! :((

Yes! it is banned in NSW to hold a Koala but you can pat/pet them whilst the handler holds them so you can have a pic taken. You can cuddle them in other states and sanctuary's.

Ah, Dorrise, that explains it! I think I recall something like that and envy the guy who posted a VT member photo holding a koala! ARGH!! He was carrying a koala!! I couldn't!! :((((

Oops! Sorry, missed your reply, Keti! Thanks! :-) Have a great summer in Finland! ;-)