Orang Utan Island

Orang Utan Island is today a global eco-tourism destination.

Since its inception in 2000, Orang Utan Island has progressed from being a sanctuary, where visitors experienced first-hand awareness and education on the orangutan, to a recognised
ex-situ conservation facility and referral centre for the endangered Bornean orangutan.

A visit to Orang Utan Island will convince anyone why the orangutan has endeared itself as
a symbol of Malaysia.

Journey into the wild…

The moment you step onto the lake cruiser, you know you are headed for adventure.

As the cruiser cuts through the water, Orang Utan Island beckons closer, now, no more a mystery in the distance.

As you alight onto the jetty, keep a look out high among the trees, you may spot an orangutan
or two, swinging from tree to tree, maybe even taking a nap.

Your steps on the boardwalk take you through a classroom of education in the life of an orangutan, where you learn amazing facts about this intelligent primate.

The orangutan, or ‘man (orang) of the forest (hutan)’ in the local Bahasa Malaysia language, exhibits truly human-like mannerism in many facets of its behavior.

A walk through the semi-circle steel-fence tunnel enclosure is a humbling experience, where we humans, seemingly in a cage, can peer out and be captivated by the orangutans roaming free beyond in the trees, on the grass, by the bushes, by the lake, just about anywhere.

Stroll by the Herbal Garden for an education on herbal plants of Malaysia, pop by the
Education Zones for expert briefing on the orangutan, stop by the Researcher’s Corner for a closer observation of the island’s star attractions…take your time, never rush the procurement
of knowledge.

Scientists have come to study how Orang Utan Island has managed to have a population of
24 orangutans today from only three in 2000 and they believe the endeavours at Orang Utan Island will greatly assist in the conservation of the Bornean orangutan.

Orang Utan Island plays an important role in building local conservation capacity by exposing visitors to various aspects of primatology such as primate behavior and ecology, captive care and veterinary medicine, and, conservation biology.

With assistance in expertise from regional primatologists and conservation biologists, Orang Utan Island aims to strengthen its commitment towards scientific research in the Bornean orangutan.

Orang Utan Island is geared to serve as a temporary holding facility for those orangutans rescued from illegal possession and or trade before being returned to their natural habitat,
with mechanisms in place to treat, care and rehabilitate those orangutans assessed unfit for immediate return to the wild.

In the 14 years of its operation, Orang Utan Island has achieved success on and demand for
its activities and programmes, attracting interest from, among others, universities from within Malaysia and around the world, for joint-cooperation across fields in education and research.

Orang Utan Island will continue to serve as a centre for training, developing and enhancing
the capacity of graduate students and young scientists in carrying out both in-situ and ex-situconservation research and activities on the orangutan and its habitats.