My Name is Pugle and I am 8 ...

August 24, 2012 - Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

Sometimes the unexpected things make your day and often the best things in life are free.

I had actually gone back to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center to catch the public bus back to Sandakan but for whatever reason that bus never came. The feeding of the orangutans had just ended and as tourists crowded the cafeteria, I went in search of a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of busloads of people chattering along noisily. I had just sat down at a quiet covered platform outside the center when suddenly a midsized orangutan approached my bag I had left down by the stairs. I have to admit that I was a bit startled as I had no idea what he would be up to.

The next 2 pictures are of very mediocre quality as I had the wrong lense for this encounter on my camera. I also had it set to manual focus and it took me a few snaps before I realized that something was wrong.

So, here is Pugle walking away form my bag after giving it a quick inspection.

The bag was quite heavy, so he probably wouldn't have been able to carry it off, but I still wanted to make sure that he didn't disappear with it into the rainforest. I got up and walked slowly over to where the bag was. Fortunately, Pugle was not of the aggressive sort and he wandered off but snatched my empty softdrink bottle and went over the banister.

Next, he climbed up on the roof and after having removed the cap from the bottle, he started to play with it checking whether there was anything left inside.

By now, I had managed to change lenses but Pugle was still in the dark against a very bright sky.

Finally the photos get better ... Pugle obviously enjoyed playing peek-a-boo while hiding in the nearby bamboo and chewing on the leaves.

For at least an hour or two Pugle hung around while some of us visitors tried to get some decent shots of him.

Rehabilitation means that the center tries to reintroduce orangutans which have been kept as pets or were orphaned in another way, to their innate life in the rainforest ... no, they are not recoverings alcoholics or drug-addicts!

Hand or foot?

Keeping orangutans as pets is illegal in Malaysia but people in very rural areas often do not know or do not care. Other orangutans lose their environment due to growing palmoil tree plantations. Orangutans need broad-leaved forest trees as they build a new nest at least once a day. Every time they go to sleep or take a nap, they first build a nest from leaves.

After he had come down from his bamboo refuge, he once more went for my bag. I was already on alert and slowly reached for the bag myself keeping an eye on his movements. But that is when he turned around and went back into the woods. Still, this unexpected close encounter with not so little Pugle certainly made my day.