The Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine was the destination of our last day in Borneo. Established in the late nineties the center is an ex situ conservation project (a term literally meaning "off-site conservation," the process of protecting an endangered species outside its natural habitat), consisting of a facility that receives injured, orphaned, or confiscated orangutans and works tirelessly to help them reach the stage in which they can be brought back to the wild. Most times this is no easy or rapid task, varying greatly for each individual, considering that an infant takes at least ten years of care and learning before it can forage for itself and be released to live in nature. Many of them also need medical attention during their stay. For that, an extensive and specialized team working full time has been established.
Given the degree of deforestation that affects Borneo, the illegal hunting, conflicts with men and other conservation issues, orangutan populations have been reduced drastically in the last century, hence every effort to recover individuals is of great importance for the species survival. We were able to visit the main facilities and interact with dozens of orangutans of different age groups, each individual showing different interests, personalities and their known fantastic physical abilities. Some were more playful than others and obviously took a like (or dislike!) to some of us, clearly choosing among the visitors, but for reasons totally unknown to us.
After a few hours in the center, we boarded the buses to get back to port and wave goodbye to Kumai and Borneo. Down the river and into a very calm sea we went, heading for the island of Bali, our last port of call and the end of this great voyage of discovery.
