Sarawak Orangutan Experience

  Malaysia

• Other Cities in Malaysia: 
Kuching

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: 5th of each month

Description: As a volunteer on the 4 week Sarawak Orangutan Volunteer Programme you will get to work on three main areas with the orangutans; husbandry, enrichment and rehabilitation. It is not possible to give a definite list of activities as the project is always moving forward. Duties vary according to the circumstances on the ground and the next planned project.

* Husbandry Duties
You will be involved in the day-to-day care of the orangutans which mainly consists of feeding, cleaning and maintenance duties. This is known as 'husbandry'. Ensuring the health and well-being of the orangutans in captivity or quarantine is paramount. They must be well fed, kept free of diseases and parasites, and allowed to exercise adequately.

- Feed the orangutans
- Clean the Orangutan Holding area and enclosures
- Maintenance duties such as painting and fixing structures

Cleaning is an important duty that helps to keep the animals disease free, as well as get rid of flies and mosquitoes.

* Enrichment Duties
The other part of keeping orangutans healthy is to keep them occupied and interested. Bored animals not only develop unusual habits, they tend to be less fit and healthy. The process of creating activities such as this is known as 'enrichment'. Enrichment is also an opportunity to teach the orangutans rehabilitation skills. Whether it is giving them coconuts to crack open, or ice blocks with fruits and juices to lick on, puzzle games to work their minds or wooden structures to swing (brachiate) and climb around on, you will be able to contribute to this important aspect of the project.

- Food enrichment
- Mental enrichment
- Building structures for climbing and swinging
- Enrichment related to rehabilitation

Building of structures greatly enriches the lives of the orangutan and other animals in the centre.

* Rehabilitation and Release Duties
Increasingly, the focus of the work at the Wildlife Centre is turning to rehabilitation and release activities for the orangutans, as well as improving the lives of the other captive animals. As a volunteer you will have involvement in this area. The duties are numerous and varied. Your work will change throughout the months depending on the needs of the centre. some months, there will be a larger focus on sunbears, other months on primates and but you will always be involved directly or indirectly on an orangtan project.

The orangutans need to be rehabilitated, and this involves building structures such as feeding platofrms, ranger stations, putting up ropes and various other such activities. Creating areas for learning, arranging enrichment that is educational, collecting rainforest foods that they can eat, will form part of your duties. Please note that these duties will be arranged from time to time, as required, and you may not get to carry out some of these duties during your 4 weeks at the Centre.

Rehabilitation work also extends to other animals at the centre, most notably the sunbears. Matang Wildlife Centre has the world's first sunbear rehabilitation project and many volunteers enjoy scatterfeeding and monitoring the results.   This is a real bonus for most volunteers and great satisfaction can be derived from seeing your hard efforts helping this endangered animal.

- Working and creating rehabilitation structures
- Monitoring sunbear rehabilitation
- Going into the rainforest for rehabilitation purposes; such as food collection.

Releases happen throughout the year but not every month. It is important to monitor these releases carefully, collecting data on their progress, provide supplemental feed, and research better techniques that will improve the process in the future.

- Indirect involvement in the release process when it occurs
- Supplemental feeding at special platforms

Other Duties:
You may be called upon to help with other aspects of day-to-day life in the centre. Visitors come to the Wildlife Centre for a tour twice daily. You will have the opportunity to explain to the visitors about the orangutan rehabilitation. Some volunteers have taken visitors around the whole centre, giving the grand tour of all the animal enclosures.

You may be involved in some interpretation (putting up explanatory signs) around the centre and fixing some of the trails into the rainforest when needed. Every year, especially after the monsoons, trees fall blocking paths and causing damage to boardwalks and bridges.

In the past, some volunteers with teaching experience, or lots of enthusiasm, have gone to the local tribal longhouse and carried out English teaching or fun conservation games. This is a very positive activity that helps involve the local community and allows you as a volunteer to interact more and learn about tribal culture.

You will also have the opportunity of working on the husbandry and enrichment of other animals on site. The Centre is growing and expanding, requiring the help of volunteers on other animal species such as sunbears (we are involved in the world's first sunbear rehabilitation program), bearcats, civets, macaques, gibbons, sambar deer, crocodiles, false gharials, different bird species and many other species that come in.

At the end of every month, you will be expected to complete a newsletter to be posted on this website informing your fellow and potential volunteers of the progress that has been made that month. This is followed by a presentation to the Wildlife Centre staff of what you have done that month, how you have found the experience and advice on how to further improve and move along the project.

N.B. Please be aware that duties sometimes have to be canceled, postponed or rearranged due to circumstances on the ground. You will be working in close proximity with orangutans for most but not all of your time, and you will not be allowed to touch the orangutans directly as we are trying to avoid human contact for rehabilitation and release. Also be aware that you will spend a significant amount of time working on other animal species as part of your duties.

Highlights: Volunteer experience in a nutshell:

Spend either 2 or 4 weeks assisting primate experts and conservationists in enrichment and rehabilitation of the resident orangutans at our wildlife centre and leave a legacy to the continued survival of this magnificent great ape.

Get up close and personal with orangutans, sunbears, bearcats, primates, and other species going behind the scenes for a hands-off discovery. Understand the science behind the conservation effort and contribute to it.

Learn about orangutan conservation, understand their behaviour and forge bonds with these great apes. See directly where your money is spent, keeping the wildlife centre open for orangutans and other animals to be rehabilitated from captivity. Please note that direct contact with orangutans is not permitted as they are being rehabilitated for release and humanisation is counter-productive.

Excellent travel service is provided, you'll be safe and secure with volunteer coordinators at easy reach at each step of the way. We take care of all travelling from start date of programme so you spend your attention on the work at hand.

Safety is paramount. We make all efforts to ensure your placement is a safe haven for you with volunteer coordinators provided at each stage of your journey. Also included is private and escorted transportation, safe and clean accommodation, health and safety checks, reliable operators and staff, 24 hour telephone help line, and emergency procedures in place.

Experience a deep involvement in the local surrounding, a new way of life in Sarawak Malaysian Borneo's jungle rainforest and river towns, some of us have made Sarawak our second home.

Join an international community of past volunteers who have shared a memorable life changing experience while working to improve the quality of life of orangutans in Sarawak.

Have fun working with a team of like-minded people from all walks of life deep in the heart of the Borneo jungle. Volunteers find they make life long friends on our programmes. It's a journey of self exploration. This time you travel, you're going home different.

Qualifications: a passion for orangutans and expect to get dirty!

Cost in US$: 2,695

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Passionate about orangutans

Age Range: 18-70

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Malaysia Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Other

Great Orangutan Project's Mission Statement: Connecting everyday people with endangered wildlife. The project seeks to increase the wild population of orangutans by repopulating the rainforest. We engage the local community, volunteers and the local government in Orangutan conservation.

Year Founded: 2003