Zoom! Malaysia is a government campaign that has been travelling state to state urging locals to holiday in Malaysia.

For the state of Sabah, the Ministry decided to steer away from the tried and tested Mount Kinabalu and Sipadan attractions and chose Sepilok instead as the main focus destination. The Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) was the launch pad for the state level campaign.

“We’ve been selling Mount Kinabalu and Sipadan for ages. We don’t want to always promote the same thing. We must go beyond that. What we want to do with this campaign is highlight different products in the State so that tourists will have more choice,” said Tourism Minister Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman.

Located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, the RDC was opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in August 2007 and thereafter placed under the care of the Sabah Forestry Department.

The primary function of the reserve is to create public awareness and appreciation of the importance of conserving forests and it’s the perfect place to go for those wishing to learn more about the rainforest.

Having armed myself with the facts courtesy of the exhibition area in the main building, it was time to experience the rainforest in all its glory so I struck out on one of the many jungle trails. It was so peaceful soaking in the calm of the towering trees above and breathing in the fresh, earthy smells of the forest. A good way to appreciate the myriad sounds is to close your eyes and sit still, allowing the birdsong and the low drone of insects to fill your ears.

The RDC is a haven for bird watchers with “twitchers” from around the world descending on the reserve to catch a glimpse of the rare Borneo Bristlehead, unique to Sabah.

What I enjoyed most was the 150 metre-long steel canopy walkway 25m above ground that provides a spectacular view of the surrounding lush jungle. The walkway is not quite completed but once all eight towers are built and connected, it will give visitors a chance to walk a distance of 1km through the forest canopy.

After the walk, cross the suspension bridge over the lake and head to the Plants Discovery Garden which has a collection of the native orchids and pitcher plants found in Sabah. The 1-hectare garden has strategically placed information panels about the plants and their importance.

Since the RDC is only 2km from Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, the largest and oldest Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre in the world, it would be crazy not to see these amazing apes.
Found only in Borneo and Sumatra, orang-utans are among Malaysia’s most endangered wildlife species with their survival constantly under threat. Many orang-utans are orphaned at a young age due to illegal poaching and some are kept as pets. Most of the orang-utans at the SORC would not survive in the wild on their own.

The aim of the centre is to rescue these creatures and rehabilitate them so that they are able to live an independent life in their natural habitat. A park ranger at the centre said that the rescued orang-utans are often diseased and in a bad state when they first arrive.

“They can be a pitiful sight. We will keep them in cages and nurse them back to health. After they have recovered, we use a buddy system to replace the mother’s teaching in which a younger orang-utan is paired with an older orang-utan. The older one will teach the younger one the necessary survival skills such as foraging for fruits, climbing trees and generally fending for themselves.

“Although they will be released into the surrounding forest, these orang-utans usually return to the centre’s feeding platforms each feeding time. We try to supply the same type of food, day in day out, so that hopefully the orang-utans get bored and look for their own food in the forest.”

Sightings are not guaranteed but the best time to observe these gentle creatures is during feeding times at 10.00 am and 2.00 pm. Rangers bring bananas and milk to the platform and visitors wait patiently for the creatures to appear.

When I was there, four orang-utans came up to the platform including a mother with her baby. The ranger told me that the new member of the family was barely two weeks old. One orang-utan was missing his fore arm. It was heartrending to watch his awkward descent down the rope but at the same time, you couldn’t help but admire this creature as he got on with life despite his handicap.

Visitors are advised not to not to touch the animals, to take care of their personal belongings and they are reminded that wrestling a 200 pound orang-utan for a camera would not be easy!

RDC entrance fees are RM5 for adults and RM2 for children. Non-Malaysians will have to pay RM10. Visit www.forest.sabah.gov.my/rdc for more information.

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre entrance fees for Malaysians are RM5 for adults and RM2 for children. Adult foreigners have to pay RM30 while kids below 18 years pay RM15. Use of cameras will be charged RM10.