Annette Tanner has just finished her two month placement at our Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Project in Borneo. She wrote to tell us about her experience:

In my life I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, experience many cultures, see amazing sights and meet many wonderful people.  However the time I spent in Malaysia this year as a volunteer in the Rehabilitation  program will stay with me forever.  What an amazing animal, so intelligent, playful, trusting, and human! 

It was such an honour to be part of such a committed team of people intent on helping  and protecting the plight of these most amazing, vulnerable creatures. The program itself is quite physical but at the end of the day you feel truly satisfied that in some small way you have contributed and that in itself .  I doubt any other program would offer you such a close-up experience, I will continue to raise awareness of how the potential existence of the orang-utans is under threat and hope the program continues to be as successful as it is. Thank you to Travellers Worldwide and Sepilok Orang-utan Centre for this opportunity.

If you’d like to find out more about our projects in Malaysia, click HERE

Lucy Meddemmen volunteered at the Orang-utan project in Malaysia. Whilst volunteering she went on a trekking expedition. Here’s what she had to say about her experience:

“I didn’t really know what to expect from trekking. I didn’t think I’d be able to tear myself away from the orang-utans but it turned out to be my favourite placement. I felt so privileged to be taken out into the forest by a knowledgeable and friendly ranger. It was fascinating. Each day we took a different route to spot orang-utan nests. It was great to learn more about how they live in the wild and try some of the foods they eat for ourselves! It was also interesting to see and learn about all the other wildlife and plant life. It was a great opportunity to see wild Borneo at its best. I saw all sorts of snakes, bats, spiders, caterpillars, birds, wild gibbons and lots and lots of leeches! The night trek was particularly exciting as it was our chance to possibly spot flying squirrels, slow lorris and tarsias! The sound of the forest at night is incredible. It was such an adventure.”

At Travellers, we are very proud of all our volunteers. We are especially grateful to them when we receive letters such as this one from Nico Gaban in Malaysia. He is a teacher at the school we work with and also a host family to volunteers:

On behalf of the school, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you and Travellers for your continuous support to the school. The volunteers had been a great help to the school. All of them had been very dedicated in completing their task. Some even came back every year to continue supporting the school. Thank you. Nico

If you’d like to be involved in the great work our volunteers do, please click HERE to choose your project!

By Carli Williams

I hate to single out one favourite Orangutan as I love them all but I am afraid that I have fallen for this little guy. His name is Gembira, which means “happy” in Malay. We have formed such a special bond in the past nine days which made it sooooooo hard to say goodbye to him on our last day. I held back the tears as he reached out to share his long green bean with me, placing it in my hand, his big brown eyes looking into mine.

One last cuddle with him and he would not let go (I did not want him to anyway). One of the Rangers had to pry him off me. I didn’t even care when he pooed on my wellie and peed on my leg.

This may all sound a bit sick and you are probably looking up the mental facility phone number right now to admit me when I return but I simply just love this little fella. I want to bring him home with me. He holds my hand and drags me over to show me a beetle he has found, prior to shoving it in his mouth, then spitting it out and sharing the crushed remains of the beetle with me. We really do have something special.

Sadly, Gembira may be too “humanised” so it may take longer for him to be rehabilitated. The Rangers said he may be sent to a Zoo (I suggested Perth Zoo) as he may not survive in the wild. They have the hard job of not showing too much affection to the Orangs so the Orangs don’t depend on them. Not like us volunteers who are all lovey dovey with them which really does not benefit them but how could you resist.

One of my friends once said to me that she did not realise you could love something or someone so   much until you have a child. I am yet to have a child but I am imagining this is how it feels.

One day I will return to Borneo to check on the progress of all my ginger haired friends. It really is a  beautiful place with so much to offer.

If you’d like to learn more about Travellers Worldwide projects on offer in Malaysia, click HERE

An insight into a typical day volunteering with Orang-Utans

By Emily Prior

“We’d wake up at 7am and have a quick breakfast, then head off to work at 8am. On the outdoor nursery placement we’d meet the RA’s (research assistants) at the clinic and prepare bananas and milk to carry up to platform 4 out in the forest. We’d trek through the forest with our bags of bananas, watching out for lerking leeches! After about 20mins we’d arrive at platform 4. The RA’s would do their amazing calls to call the orang-utans in to feed. This was my favourite part of the day. Hearing the boys call them in and seeing loads of orang-utans swinging in form all directions on the ropes and trees was really amazing. Seeing how the interact with each other was really lovely. After this we’d head down to the tourist platform, we’d keep an eye on the tourists and keep them quiet and answer any questions they had. We’d also make sure people kept a safe distance from the orang-utans if any of them came down for a stroll on the tourist platform. Once the last tourist had left we headed back for a thorough body check for leeches (!) cold shower and lunch! After a long relaxing lunch break it was back down to tourist platform for 2pm to do the same as the morning shift. By 4 pm it was time to head home for another cold shower! Hot work in the jungle! We usually all relaxed together in the evenings, played cards, watched tv or a film, then had dinner about 7.30pm. After some hand washing it was usually time for bed – dreaming about our lovely orang-utan friends and getting excited about the next day!”

If you’d like to learn more about Travellers Worldwide projects in Malaysia, click HERE