Trek with orangutans in Borneo

“I hold my breath as I walk past one of the orangutans on the boardwalk. I keep my distance as we are not allowed to touch them. Our group continues down the boardwalk and we head further into the forest, led by our guide Nina. We follow a trekking route to the feeding area. [...] As we trek thought the forest, we spot a wild pig hiding in the bushes and a gibbon perched in a tree top. We gather near the feeding area, wait for the orangutans to arrive and notice them when the trees start to rustle. A female orangutan with child calmly climbs down a branch and passes right in front of us. She joins the banana festivities on the feeding deck and a cheeky gibbon cautiously appears in the shadows to steal a banana when nobody’s looking.”

“I start the long trek through the Borneo jungle towards the feeding center with my guide, Mickey, from Orangutan Journey. On our walk over twisted tree roots and fallen trees [...] Once we reach the feeding area a young man drops off a large bunch of bananas and hollers into the distance. Apparently that man speaks fluent orangutan because just minutes later curious orangutans swing through the trees. It’s as if I had just stepped into my favorite childhood movie, The Jungle Book. A wild boar hovers below relying on the dropped bananas from the reckless orangutans. I see human-like mannerisms in each of them, as baby orangutans cling to their mothers, mothers care for the children.”