Visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan
Your best chances of seeing a wild orangutan while in Borneo is by visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan.
This world-famous sanctuary offers visitors a rare chance to see the Bornean orangutans in a natural rainforest setting while learning about conservation and rehabilitation efforts.
While visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre you’ll be able to watch the primates at feeding times and even catch a glimpse of one in swinging in the canopy.
This guide not only goes over what to expect at the rehab center but I want to inform my readers on conservation and protecting endangered species and share what I learned on what Malaysia is doing to protect its wildlife.
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The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is one of Borneo’s main wildlife attractions. It’s a rewarding experience for travelers that are looking to see orangutans in Borneo while supporting conservation efforts.
I’ve outlined important information in this post to help you plan your trip to the Orangutan rehab centre based on my visit.
Admission and Hours
Admission
Malaysian Citizens
Adults: RM5
Children (18 and Under): RM2
Non-Malaysian Citizens
Adults: Rm30
Children (18 and Under): RM15
*There is a camera fee.
Camera Phones: Free
Professional Cameras (DSLR, Video Camera, GoPro, etc..): RM10
Hours
7 Days a Week
9:00-11:00 / 14:00-15:30
Feeding Platform
10:00 and 15:00
Outdoor Nursery
9:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00
Where is Sepilok & How to Get There
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is in the town of Sandakan located in the state of Sabah in northern Borneo, Malaysia.
These directions are taken from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre website.
From Sandakan: There are four public buses that arrive at Sepilok and four that return back to Sandakan. It’s about a 45 minute journey and costs RM4 a person.
You can take a taxi or use Grab as well, it’s about a 20 minute drive from Sandakan Airport.
Personally, I recommend and this is what we did, but I booked a Private Full Day Tour.
The guide picked us up from the hotel, drove us to each destination and provided a wealth of knowledge along the way, not to mention entrances were included on this Private Full Day Tour.
The Orangutans
Orang-Hutan comes from the Malay words “Orang” which means person and “Hutan,” which translates to “Of the Forest.” So Orang-Hutan means People of the Forest!
Orangutans are only found in the wild on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. There is a Sumatran Orangutan and the Bornean Orangutan.
Prior to visiting Borneo, I was clueless about Orangutans. I knew they are primates and of course know what their appearance looks like, but that is it.
After spending time in the Bornean rainforest seeing them in the wild and paying a visit to Sepilok, I’ve learned so much more about orangutans and want to share some of what I learned with my readers.
About the Bornean Orangutan
There are two types of orangutans, the Sumatran Orangutan and the Bornean Orangutan, both critically endangered.
Within the island of Borneo, there are three subspecies of Bornean Orangutans.
It is estimated that there are around 104,000 Bornean orangutans left in the wild.
The Bornean orangutan lives on the Malaysia and Indonesian side of Borneo. Compared to the Sumatran orangutan they are considered larger, have darker red fur, and broader faces.
The Bornean orangutans are known to be more solitary and less social then the Sumatra orangutan.
Based on my experience in Borneo. I encountered wild orangutans almost everyday while staying along the Kinabatangan River. The orangutans spend most their lives in the trees and rarely come down to the ground.
It amazed me to see how they use their long arms to glide through the canopy going from tree to tree with ease looking for fresh fruits.
Orangutans at Sepilok
According to the Orangutan Appeal UK Sepilok website, there are around 60-80 orangutans that live in the rainforest reserve at Sepilok.
There is one orangutan that my guide told me about and I want to share his story.
Malim, he’s a giant male orangutan that calls Sepilok home. I think now, he’s around 24-25 years old and was brought to Sepilok as an orphan.
When he was fully rehabilitated, he was driven by car and buckled up hours away from Sepilok to a forested area. Over the course of a few months, Malim randomly showed back up at Sepilok.
Apparently, while in the car, he was paying attention to landmarks and used his intelligence to backtrack back to Sepilok. I think he’s done this twice now. Because of this he is a permanent resident at Sepilok.
He can be seen at the feeding platforms and is quite the celebrity. Just goes to show you how smart orangutans really are.
What Happens to them Once they are Rehabilitated?
Each orangutan at Sepilok Rehab Centre has a different back story. But the goal is for them to be fully rehabilitated which can take several years before being released back to the wild.
While at Sepilok, the orangutans are learning vital survival skills they need to live an independent life.
The orangutans are taught to forage for food, climb, and nest.
New rescues will stay at a nursery for medical checks. Afterwards they are released to the outdoor nursery where they learn natural behaviors.
After they develop natural habits they are released within Sepilok to secluded areas where they are looked after by specialized staff. This stage is as wild as it gets but they are still monitored.
After several years of rehab, the orangutans are then driven and flown to secluded forested areas in Borneo.
What to Expect
Now that you know more about the Bornean orangutan and about the rehabilitation efforts and process, what does a day at Sepilok look like for visitors?
Feeding Platforms and Viewing Areas
The main highlight for visitors at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre are the feeding platforms. Feeding times are at 10:00 and 15:00 daily.
Just remember, these are wild animals so it’s not guaranteed that you will see the orangutans. But you have a high chance of seeing them at Sepilok.
The main feeding platform takes visitors inside where you can see the orangutans eat on platforms.
The first feeding platform can get crowded so it is recommended to come about 30 minutes before feeding times. Our guide recommended that we crouched down on the floor in front of the glass for best viewing opportunities.
The second feeding platform is in the rainforest and meant for the more mature orangutans who are in the process of being introduced in the wild. These orangutans are more secluded and more difficult to spot. But we saw one here.
The diet that the orangutans are fed by the staff include a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Orangutans are not the only primates that call Sepilok home. There are Long-tailed and Pig-tailed Macaques that live here and share the food.
It’s hilarious to watch the staff keep the macaques away from the food at first, then once the staff leaves, hoarders of macaques scramble around to eat the leftovers.
Jungle Boardwalks
There are boardwalks that traverse through the rainforest for visitors to walk from the visitor centre to the feeding platforms.
The rainforest is beautiful and authentic. Pay attention to your surroundings and look around, you’ll never know what you might find.
The boardwalks are well maintained and keep visitors away from stepping on and touching the delicate vegetation. But keep in mind to watch your belongings because monkeys tend to be curious.
Visitor Centre
There is a visitor centre at Sepilok. Here you can find souvenirs, books, and more information about the orangutans that call Sepilok home.
You can also speak to staff at the visitor centre in case you have any questions after your visit.
Ethical Wildlife Tourism at Sepilok
I do my research prior to visiting any attraction that handles wildlife. You’ll never see me taking a photo in front of a drugged up Tiger or supporting tourism around Elephants.
But there are a lot of ethical wildlife tourism locations and conservation efforts that I do support and one of them is Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Written at the rehab centre is a sign that says: The aim of the centre has always been to receive, nurture, and returned orphaned, injured, or displaced orangutans back into the wild through the process of rehabilitation.
Why Sepilok is Ethical
The Bornean Orangutan is an endangered species. The orangutans at the rescue centre all have different backgrounds on how they ended up at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
Some orangutans were rescued from logging areas, being held in captivity, habitat loss, or from human interactions.
The orangutans at the rehab centre are carefully rehabilitated and taught essential survival skills before being released back into the rainforest.
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre’s mission is conservation, rehabilitation, and education. This centre rescues orphaned, injured, and/or displaced orangutans and focuses on rehabilitating them to be released back into the wild.
The orangutans live freely here in a protected rainforest environment. There is little to no human contact, and feeding is carefully managed.
How You Can Support Conservation
Just visiting Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is a great way to support orangutan conservation. The money goes toward conservation efforts and the care for these magnificent primates.
You can also adopt an orangutan. When visiting Sepilok, there is more information on this and employees that can assist.
For RM250 you can adopt an orangutan.
You’ll get:
✅ Certificate of Appreciation
✅ The story behind the orangutan
✅ Photographs
✅ Exclusive Videos
✅ A Soft Toy
✅ Newsletter
✅ An update after 6 months of the progress
✅ Most importantly, knowing that you’ve achieved something to help save the Bornean Orangutans
Booking a Tour to Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre
You can visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre on your own. But I highly recommend booking a private tour through either Get Your Guide, Viator, or Klook.
When booking a tour, you don’t have to worry about transport, getting tickets, or showing up at the right time, it’s all taken care for you.
Here are some of the tours that I recommend:
Private Full Day Sepilok Orangutan, Bornean Sun Bear, and Rainforest Discovery Center Tour
Full Day At Sepilok Orangutan, Sun Bear & Sandakan City Tour
Conclusion
Visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan is truly one of the best ways to see wild orangutans and assist with conservation efforts to protect this endangered species.
Visitors come from all over the world to see the orangutans at Sepilok Rehab Centre. You can view orangutans up close, learn about their behaviors, and potentially save them just by visiting.
Sepilok is a must-do activity when visiting Borneo. I hope you learned a little more about the Bornean orangutan and how important it is to protect this species. If you’ve visited or have plans to let me know!
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