Bukit Lawang's famous orangutan centre was set up in 1973 to help primates readjust to the wild after captivity or displacement through land clearing. Many of the original duties of the centre have been moved to more remote locations, but twice-daily feedings are still provided to semidependent orangutans. These events are open to the public (no guide required) and provide one of the closest views of the forest ape outside the confines of a zoo.
During the centre's decades-long operation, it has introduced 200 orangutans into the jungle. Many of them had been kept as caged pets; the centre taught them how to forage for food in the wild, build nests, climb trees and other essentials for survival after release. The orangutans are also treated for diseases that they contracted during contact with humans. Today around 16 orangutang live in the vicinity of Bukit Lawang.
Once the apes are on their own in the wild, the centre still provides supplementary feedings in case of awkward transitions or demanding circumstances. These feedings consist of milk and bananas and are considered a fairly bland diet compared to the diversity of food found in the forest. The semiwild apes who appear at the centre's 'welfare' platform are typically nursing or pregnant females in need of an extra source of nutrition.
There are two feeding times a day: 8.30am to 9.30am and 3pm to 4pm. These are the only times visitors are allowed to enter the national park without a guide.
The feeding platform is located on the west bank of Sungai Bohorok within the park boundaries, about a 20-minute walk from the village. The river crossing to the park office is made by dugout canoe. Permits are required to enter the park (20,000Rp). Technically these are only available from the Bukit Lawang Visitors Centre in the village proper, not the office at the foot of the trail to the platform. In reality it’s often possible to buy a ticket from the park office and either way you’ll need to show a ticket here in order to be allowed to continue to the feeding platform. If you’re heading out on a trek afterwards, your guide will normally get you a ticket beforehand, which you can use to visit the feeding platform as well. If you have a camera/video camera you'll have to pay an additional 50,000/150,000Rp at the office, with no refunds if orangutans don't come to the feeding platform – during peak fruit season they often don't. Get to the river crossing around 30 minutes before the scheduled feeding time as it can take a while to ferry everyone across.
Since 1996 the centre has been closed to new arrivals, as the park is considered to be saturated with orangutans. A replacement quarantine centre, just outside Medan, opened in 2002 to carry on the rehabilitation efforts, but it is not open to the public.
Lonely Planet.
No comments:
Post a Comment