Tanjung Harapan Orangutan Feeding Centre

Orangutans don’t Jump!!nOur group of seven visited Tanjung Harapan Rehabilitatin Centre - also called Camp 1- on 03rd August 2019 along with our guide Bain. Though named rehabilitation centre, it does not undertake rehabilitation of orphaned Orangutans any more. Rehabilitation is carried out elsewhere.nThere is a plant nursery for reforestation as you enter Tanjung Harapan. The nursery had not only plants, but also ferns, epiphytes and other forest plants too. About 1.5 km further inside is the feeding area for Orangutans. There were few benches for visitors - quite separated from the feeding platform. The feeding time is from 1500hrs to 1700hrs.nWe saw six or seven mother Orangutans with their babies coming in. There were playful youngsters too. They came along, from the canopy of tall trees, moving along nimbly, hanging and swaying with their hands and feet. Unlike monkeys, Orangutans don’t jump, they move by swinging on their fore and hind legs. They fed on bananas provided on the feeding table. The ones that were shy, stuck a few bananas into their mouth, went back up to the trees and ate them at leisure sharing the loot with the babies.nIt was a privilege to have been able to observe these rare animals in their habitat and the efforts made at Tanjung Puting National Park to sustain them.