A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN (People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service) ISSN 1394-5726

Online Publisher:          Contents provided by:	Matang Wildlife Centre If I should have red hair covering my body, swing from tree to tree, refuse to talk and eat a diet full of fruits especially bananas, I would probably be called an orangutan too! According to the world of genetics, the difference between humans and orangutans is only 3%, i.e., humans and orangutan are 97% identical in term of DNA. Primatologist, Birute Galdikas, who has studies orangutans for 27 year says this, "They’re what were before we came down from the trees.” Today, a very imminent and real danger is hovering over the survival of the orangutans. The rain forests, their natural habitat, have shrunk by 80% due to logging and plantation agriculture. The recent phenomenon of El Nino causing rampaging fires stated from land clearing also killed 3,000 orangutans. It certainly did not help when man and nature combined to eradicate them, however unintentionaly. As we view the orangutans to be similar to man, the humane act here is for us to provide sanctuaries, laws and create public awareness programme to prevent them from fast becoming an endangered species. To this effect, our very own orangutans and other wildlife, e.g., sun bears, hornbills and sambar deers are given a home at the Matang Wildlife Centre (MWC). The MWC was officially opened on Saturday morning, 25 July 1998, by the Minister of Tourism, YB Dr James Jemut Masing. The main purpose of the MCW is to rehabilitate indigenous animals into their natural enviroment. The animals arrive at the centre either caught, injured, abandoned or confiscated from people who kept them as pets. The MWC was built with the protection and conservation of wildlife in mind. With its jungle trails, forest canopies, naturally landscaped enclosures and aviaries, communing with Mother Nature is as easy as A-B-C. Some of the animals and birds actually posed for the visitor as if to say; “Come and take my picture.” This goes to show that the animals feel at home at MWC. The orangutans as the MWC are fed regulary on healthy diets of fruits, bread and water. They have tees and ropes to swing from and areas to play in with each other. As they are intelligent primates, the orangutans are also taught games other activities. This serves as interaction and sharing time with their trainers. It builds up their sense of being cared for, especially for young orangutans. According to Galdikas, “ Orangutans have the most intense mother-child relationship of any primate with the exception of humans." An orangutans mother will normally spend 8 years in raising her young. Let us then reach out and work together to protect the orangutan before they become extinct. We can to know them better, e.g., how they live, interact and what they eat, by visiting the Kuching Matang Wildlife Centre.
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