Orangutans reintroduced to nature at Tanjung Puting<\/p>\n
Jakarta Post contributor Rebecca Mowbray visited Tanjung
\nPuting National Park on a recent journey through Kalimantan. The
\nfollowing are her articles and photos of the orangutans in the
\narea.<\/p>\n
TANJUNG PUTING, Central Kalimantan (JP): The engine of Satria
\nII chugged as the slow-moving klotok fishing boat parted the
\nwaters of Sekoyner River and pardoned some over-zealous water
\nplants blocking the way to Camp Leakey.<\/p>\n
Proboscis monkeys chattered and hopped in the overhanging
\ntrees, shaking the leaves like tambourines. A crocodile
\nrelinquished its late afternoon sunning spot and disappeared into
\nthe dark water of the river.<\/p>\n
A trip to Central Kalimantan's Tanjung Puting National Park is
\na bath in the natural world, a meditation on the trees and the
\nanimals that are so far from Jakarta skyscrapers.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Puting is a national park where orangutans rescued
\nfrom captivity, like the park's human visitors, are reintroduced
\nto the wild. It is not a zoo, but a nature preserve and
\nfunctioning research station where the famed Dr. Birute Galdikas
\nbegan her comprehensive study of orangutan behavior in 1971.<\/p>\n
The park's 415,000 hectares of tropical forest and peat swamp
\nare accessible only by boat. Most visitors rent klotok and stock
\nup on cooking provisions at the market if they plan to sleep
\nonboard.<\/p>\n
Visitors willing to sacrifice the nighttime view of the stars
\nfor a hot shower can stay at the Rimba Lodge or the new Eco-
\nLodge, which donates a percentage of its profits to the local
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Every night after a late afternoon wildlife cruise and filling
\ndinner of fried noodles, sauteed vegetables, white rice and fruit
\nprepared by chef and first mate Yadi, we pulled mattresses on
\ndeck and fell asleep soon after the sun. A mosquito net is a good
\nitem to pack.<\/p>\n
In the mornings we were wooed to consciousness by the waking
\nsun, monkeys and birds, but on one morning we awoke to crashing
\nbranches as a wild male orangutan palmed his way across the
\ntreetops to gander at our boat.<\/p>\n
After bathing in the cleaner waters of a branch of the
\nSekoyner near Camp Leakey each day, we set off for one of the
\npark's three camps where feedings take place to observe the ex-
\ncaptive orangutans.<\/p>\n
An orangutan feeding is an unscripted performance in a natural
\nsetting. While the orangutans gorge themselves on bananas and
\ndangle from tree branches, visitors can admire the mastery with
\nwhich they maneuver through the forest. A feeding may not be a
\nnatural event, but it is an incredible chance to watch this great
\nape.<\/p>\n
The park also offers kilometers of trails for strolling
\nthrough the forest. Rangers know all about the trees, their
\nmedicinal uses and Dayak spiritual beliefs about them.<\/p>\n
A vacation in Tanjung Puting's wall of green empties one's
\nmind and forces even the most high-energy visitor to adjust to
\nthe pace of the forest. It is a meditation in beauty and
\nsolitude. For me, even a postcard required too much
\nconcentration.<\/p>\n
But the polluted waters of the Sekoyner River and the stubbled
\nforest along the opposite bank also provide a rare opportunity to
\ncontemplate questions of development that balances humans,
\nanimals and the ecosystem.<\/p>",
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