Over recent years the popularity of orangutan holidays has grown exponentially. The endearing charm of these gentle red apes plus the mysterious backdrop of their rainforest home attract hundreds of thousands of wildlife tourists each year to the exotic islands of Borneo and Sumatra in South East Asia. Orangutan holidays can be broken down into two main categories of vacation; volunteering with orangutans and orangutan tourism. This article will deal with the latter.
Potential Negative Impacts of Orangutan Tourism
Orangutans are naturally elusive and difficult to spot up in the rainforest canopy, and so orangutan encounters for most tourists will occur at rescue or rehabilitation centres. This human presence arguably has negative effects on the rehabilitation process as the apes become more used to human presence, and not less, which is one of the aims of rehabilitating them back into the forest.
Orangutans in rehabilitation centres have died as a result of contracting illnesses from visitors (cold sores, flu and diarrhoea can all prove fatal), and even more tragically, some have been poisoned after stealing bags from tourists who get too close and then drinking chemical substances found inside such as insect repellent and sun screen. Wild orangutans may become distressed if pursued too aggressively or too often by large groups of tourists,and this has been known to lead to immunosuppression, making the animals more susceptible to infectious diseases.
Not all wildlife tourists are aware of the potential negative impacts of their presence on wildlife and ecosystems. Responsible tour agencies appreciate this and put measures in place to share knowledge and initiatives with tourists in order to minimise negative impacts and encourage positive ones instead.
Orangutan Holidays in Malaysia or Indonesia, Borneo or Sumatra?
For many first time travellers, where to find orangutans can prove to be the biggest challenge when choosing an orangutan holiday destination. A useful first step in deciding where to go is the knowledge that there are in fact two species of orangutan, the Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus) and the Sumatran (Pongo abelii). Although the two species differ little in behaviour and ecology, their distribution across Malaysia and Indonesia, and the island of Borneo and Sumatra can be a little confusing at first.
As the name suggests, the Bornean orangutan population is confined to the island of Borneo. However this area is divided between the three nations of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei and so Bornean orangutans are found in Malaysia and Indonesia (there are no orangutans in Brunei). The island of Sumatra belongs solely to Indonesia, and is home to the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan species.
Planning the Perfect Orangutan Holiday
The rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia are some of the most degraded and exploited on earth, and orangutans are being pushed ever closer to the brink of extinction as their habitats disappear. Whilst wildlife tourism can be instrumental in providing local communities and governments alike with a reason to protect and preserve natural resources, not all tour companies will put the interests of wildlife, ecosystems or indigenous peoples first.
Here are some questions to ask a prospective tour provider before paying up for that dream orangutan holiday:
- Who are the company partnering with on the ground to provide the holiday package? Often the company selling the holiday package are not the people running it on the ground. Checking out this third party may reveal a lot about their priorities and ethics, as well as who stands to benefit from the tour fee.
- Does the company/ partner source accommodation and services (e.g. guides, drivers and boatmen) from local communities? These communities rely on the resources around them for income. In vulnerable areas like tropical rainforests, income from tourism can ensure that wildlife and the forest are worth more alive than dead, thus encouraging locals to protect the area.
- What are the company/ partners doing to minimise the impact of tourism on wildlife and the forest? Orangutans are shy creatures, as are many of the other animals tourists can encounter in Borneo and Sumatra. A responsible tour company will make sure stress to wild animals is minimised by reducing group numbers, and viewing animals on their own terms rather than pursuing them or getting too close.
- Are the centres visited during a tour really prioritising the welfare of the orangutans? Steer clear of any “attractions” in which orang-utans are made to perform. Similarly, some tourism areas may claim to have one or two rescued or semi-wild orangutans despite not being set up as a rescue centre. Stick to viewing orangutans at well known rehabilitation centres and sanctuaries which are affiliated with either government wildlife departments or orangutan charities.
Orangutan Holidays That Benefit Conservation Efforts
- Steppes Discovery in partnership with the Orangutan Foundation offers unique and popular tours, each of which is lead by a specialist orang-utan expert from the Orangutan Foundation and located in Indonesia.
- Teaming up with photographer Ian Wood, Orangutan Foundation also offer specialist orangutan photography tours in Indonesia. Each booking includes a minimum donation of £350 to the Foundation.
- Baobab Expeditions have teamed up with the Orangutan Appeal U.K. to offer “Orangutans and Turtles”, a tour based in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo from which a monetary contribution is made to the Orangutan Appeal.
Tourism in Malaysia and Indonesia represents an important incentive for local people to protect orangutans and their forest home. With minimal research and planning, tourists can ensure the orangutan holiday they choose has positive, rather than negative effects on orangutan conservation efforts.
Readers might also enjoy The Kinabatangan River -Top Wildlife Travel Destination and Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary -Hotel and Hostel Accommodation
References:
- Minimizing Pathogen Transmission at Primate Ecotourism Destinations: The Need for Input from Travel Medicine. Michael P. Muehlenbein, PhD, MsPH *† , and Marc Ancrenaz, DVM, MS
- ‘An intimate rendezvous with nature?’: Mediating the Tourist-nature Experience at Three Tourist Sites in Malaysia. Markwell Tourist Studies.2001; 1: 39-57
Katie McDonald - Katie McDonald is a British zoologist who spends most of her time in Malaysia. After a variety of jobs including nine years working in ...
