Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is located at mile 14 and about 20 minutes away from Sandakan town.

This world-famous Sanctuary enables visitors to come in close contact with the remarkable "Orang Utan" which means "man of the forest" in Malay.

The red-haired Orang Utans are a must-see, when you are visiting Sabah. They are man's closest relative and are astonishingly gentle and highly intelligent, gazing at visitors with almost disconcerting frankness.

Here, in the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre , young orphaned or captive Orang Utans are taught survival skills so that they may return to their natural habitat. After such time, they are released into the forest.

The Centre was set up in 1964 to rehabilitate orphaned baby Orang Utan. Situated in the lush 4,300-hectare Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the Centre comes under the administration of the Wildlife Department of Sabah and it attracts tourists and researchers alike, giving them the opportunity to watch the Orang Utans up close in their natural habitat. A boardwalk leads you to a viewing gallery and feeding platform where the apes are fed milk and bananas twice a day at 10.00am and 3.00pm by rangers. Feeding time also attracts long-tailed macaques to the area.

While Orang Utans rehabilitation is still the primary goal at Sepilok, it also focuses on public education on conservation, research and assistance on other endangered species such as the rhinoceros.

Visitors are restricted to walkways. Some Orang Utans have become familiar with people but to avoid the spread of disease, touching them is strongly discouraged.

The Sanctuary also houses a couple of highly endangered Sumatran rhinos. There is an Information Nature Education Centre, and a mini-theater where a documentary video about the work of the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary is shown. Visitors are advised to arrive about one hour in advance to register and enjoy activities prior to the feeding.

For an exciting Sandakan, check out the packages offered by Insabah. These packages provide an excellent way to explore Sandakan and its surrounding attractions.