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The Wild Male Orangutan

Well, though I am a bit bummed that I only saw one wild orangutan, I am thrilled I saw one.  It was very hard to get photos as we were in a boat on a moving river, and it was never still....and these are the best I got.  Orangutan means man of the forest, and this lone male orang certainly seemed like a gentle man of the forest as I watched him having breakfast over the Kinabatangan River.  Most of the time he was facing away from me, but these shots are from the rare 2 minutes he chose to give me a glimpse of his face.
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Anonymous said…
I love this blog! My husband and I are traveling with our two children, ages 6 and 8, to Sabah in April. We will be visiting the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, the Kinabatangan, Lankayan . . . Our hope is to see all of the great apes in their natural habitats. We went to Gombe Stream, where Jane Goodall did her research with the chimpanzees, about 10 years ago -- if you have not visited yet, you must! I am not sure if the season will be in our favor for viewing while in Borneo, but I am crossing my fingers! You were very lucky to see as much as you did! :-)
January 23, 2011 at 8:23 PM
Esmae said…
Thanks! April should be a great time according to my guide! Don't hesitate to book the private boat for river cruises on the Kinabatangan if you have the chance - well worth it.
January 23, 2011 at 10:03 PM
Jenny said…
Thanks! I am obsessed. . . not sure how I'll be able to wait another 3 months! By the way, what kind of camera/zoom did you have with you?
January 24, 2011 at 1:42 PM
Esmae said…
I had a Panasonic Lumix, 12x optical zoom and 48x digital - no special lenses. I love it as it is lightweight and takes great photos in most conditions. I do strongly recommend having two cameras; the humidity in Malaysia causes major lens fog/camera issues. In case you do not already know - some tips - do not use the AC in your room; you can live without it and when the camera goes from colder to warmer, you get fog that can last up to an hour inside the camera. Removing lens cap, setting in the sun, and having silica packets in a ziploc bag with the camera helps. (Save up silica packets from vitamins or other packaging, the little gel packets - but be sure to bring all of them home with you; they are great for electronics but toxic to animals). Due to sudden rains, bring ziplocs for all electronics!
January 24, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Jenny said…
Thank you! I am actually emailing myself your tips!
January 24, 2011 at 4:41 PM
Esmae said…
You're welcome! Have a great time and let me know if I can help with any questions. I hope you do gorillas one day! The viewing is fantastic!
January 24, 2011 at 4:56 PM
Jenny said…
We absolutely will! Probably in 4 years or so. . . I know a lot can change in 4 years, particularly in regions where gorilla-viewing is possible, but where would you suggest? Consider that we will have (older) kids in tow. Safety is the number one concern, ability to SEE the wildlife is the other (which is why Gombe Stream is amazing, by the way -- the chimps, though completely "wild", are accustomed to researchers in the area, and so they do not run screaming when you are in their vicinity -- the viewing was unbelievable).
January 25, 2011 at 7:24 AM
Esmae said…
If you post a comment with your email address in it, I will get the comment but not publish it online, I will email you, and then we can communicate directly instead of through the blog. I'll be happy to share what I thought about gorilla viewing in Uganda and Rwanda, or help with questions about anywhere I have been that you want to go.
January 25, 2011 at 11:46 AM
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