A Visit With King in the Rainforest
A couple of days ago, I shared with you the amazing experience we had exploring the canopy walkways through the rainforest of Malaysian Borneo. When we descended the canopy, we continued our exploration through the luxuriant, dense environment below, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the native primates that live in the rainforest. One such creature is the oran-utan - also spelled orang-utan. In Malay, "orang" means "man" and "utan" means forest; hence the term, "man of the forest." Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, oran-utans are seen only in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. We were not disappointed as our knowledgeable and informed guides led us to an encounter with King, the magnificent, who reigns supreme over this region of the rainforest.
1 Shortly after exploring the rainforest from the canopy, we set off for another hike in this luxuriant, dense environment.
2 Memrie, this time on a bridge that spanned a river.
3 On the bridge with Memrie and Denny, one of our guides.
4 This bug certainly blends into its surroundings.
5 Denny showing us a small rain forest flower
6 A close-up - how pretty!
7 We saw so many beautiful varieties of moss.
8 In the rainforest, trees, especially older ones, are numbered for research purposes.
9 A very interesting vine
10 The root systems are amazing.
11 This bark is so satiny.
12 Can you picture Tarzan swinging on these vines?
13 Leafy vines
14 Lovely waxy flowers
15 This tree supports another small bridge - notice how it's 'consuming' the rope.
16 A centipede curled up tight
17 Edmundo, a guide and Memrie standing in the fold of an enormous tree
18 Here I am with Denny and Edmundo.
19 Yogini Sophie doing a handstand on the soft jungle floor
20 Another leafy vine
21 And another
22 The guides carry communication radios and they heard from another group that Gibbon apes were in the area. We ventured off the beaten path in search of them.
23 The rainforest is so dense and home to so many unusual insects.
24 We finally encountered three gibbons high in the canopy. The difference between monkeys and apes is that monkeys have tails and apes do not.
25 This gibbon was climbing up a vine.
26 A fellow traveler - also staying at The Rainforest Lodge - looking at the gibbons
27 They seemed to know that they were entertaining us.
28 There are also many leeches, like this little skinny one, in the rainforest. Those green gaiters are leech protection.
29 A twisted twisting vine
30 This little fellow is a short-crested forest dragon.
31 I can't quite remember what we spotted, but you can be sure that it was amazing!
32 A tree with an identification label
33 A bracket fungi
34 More moss
35 These fuzzy green leaves were growing among tree roots - perhaps an African violet?
36 We were about to return to the lodge for lunch when Edmundo informed us that an oran-utan was near.Also spelled orang-utan, meaning 'man of the forest'
37 His name is King and he reigns over this region. King is 35 to 40-years old and no other oran-utan dares to step in his path.
38 King is casually snacking on figs from a ficus tree.
39 It was such a beautiful and emotional experience to be so close to King in the wild. His demeanor was friendly and calm.
40 An oran-utan can live for about fifty years in the wild.
41 King climbed up into the tree to reach for more figs.
42 His hands are so like ours.
43 Spotting another fig
44 Unlike the human foot, the oran-utan has an opposable big toe, which is very useful when climbing.
45 King probably has an an arm span of about 7.5 feet!
46 Sophie really 'connected' with King!
47 Was King giving us a thumbs up? (photo by George Hong)
48 The hike ended at this beautiful swimming hole called Jacuzzi Pool.
49 We enjoyed lunch back at the lodge after a truly emotional and breathtaking experience. The pasta was great!
50 There was also a healthy assortment of fresh vegetables.
51 This is the view from the main lodge.
52 After lunch, Sophie and I uploaded the morning's photos and then took off again with Memrie and our guides in search of more wildlife. We soon found a group of red leaf monkeys.
53 Here are two mothers with their babies. The babies turn red as they get older.
54 They observed our presence.
55 And then went on to groom their babies
56 Later that day, after dinner, we were lucky to encounter this small nocturnal tarsier. One of the smallest primates, the tarsier has eyes like an owl, a tail like a rat, and ears and nose like a bat.
57 Sophie was so excited to see this adorable animal. Here he is looking right at her camera!
58 Remarkably, the tarsier is able to turn its head nearly 360 degrees meaning that, coupled with those large eyes, the tarsier able to spot any oncoming predators with ease.
59 Sophie went off with Denny and Azlina (from Tourism Malaysia) on another nocturnal walk. They found this interesting stick-like bug.
60 And a lizard resting on a leaf
61 This spider found a yummy dinner!
62 The group from the Borneo Rain Forest Lodge. Thanks so them, we had such a wonderful stay!
Wooow...event only see tru your amazing photo could feel King as one great creature on earth...u're lucky to witness him by your own eyes...tq Martha for sharing this, will go there one day...I willl....
Posted by: fieza | June 17th, 2010 at 3:52 am
Great photos! Makes me think back to when I did forestry research and my partner and I would hear a monkeyish sounding bird- we wished there were monkeys here and that we could carry one on our shoulders to help us and eat the ticks off of us. I wouldn't want to have to worry about leeches, though! It must be exciting to see so many different plants and think some might not even have names yet.
Posted by: Michele in PA | June 17th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Glad you met our two Kings.
First is our beloved protector, the King who is known as His Highness the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. He and the Queen (Raja Permaisuri Agong) are a beautifuland young royal couple.
The King. like our other Sultans, is a great polo player. (We have Sultans in all the Federated Malay states who take turn every five years to be The Agong).
The adorable other king, the Orang-Utan, is the guardian of our valuable asset - the rainforest.
I love foto No 47 showing the Orang-Utan giving you the thumbs-up. He knows you will writing beautiful things about us. Haha.
Did you buy the Batik place-mats like you featured in foto number 50? It's a beautiful yet cheap souvenir.
Posted by: Idzan, Kuala lumpur | June 17th, 2010 at 4:27 am
What fabulous photos of the rain forest again. Thank you so much for sharing. It was truly educational. I love Sophie's head stand! Looks like all of you had a ball!
Posted by: Phillippe | June 17th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Wow -- these pictures are amazing! I am so impressed that you found a tarsier! They are so tiny, and I've read that they're difficult to spot in this area! My 8 year old is really, really hoping to see one when we visit next April, so I will absolutely show her your photos! I have read a lot about King. He is "old" for an orangutan in the wild, right? I really hope that he is still around when we are there -- did the guides say anything about his age/health? I know there are others in the area, but I think King is the most reliably seen.
Our upcoming trip will be our second "great ape trip". The first was about 10 years ago -- we went to Gombe Stream in Tanzania, where Jane Goodall did all of her research with chimpanzees. That was the single most incredible experience of my life, and the number of chimps we saw and the proximity that we were able to observe them from, was absolutely amazing. If you loved this trip, I highly, highly recommend that you visit Gombe Stream next.
I really hope that you inspire others to travel to this part of the world!
Posted by: Jenny | June 17th, 2010 at 6:57 am
OOhh thanx, I did ask if you had seen 'wild man' of Borneo several weeks ago, much better to call him KING. My nephew just participated in "wild horse" race and as he knows how to gentle animals, seems that 'wild' is in the eyes of the beholder.
Posted by: ann | June 17th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Jenny
When you go to Sepilok sanctuary, you will be thrilled.
You can see how the forest rangers there nursed the baby Orang-Utans. Feed them milk, wear them diapers, play with them. Just like how we treat our babies.
When they are strong, they are released into the nearby forest.
You will cry because you can see the orang-utans too are also sad to leave.
Posted by: Idzan, Kuala lumpur | June 17th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I can't believe King! And all the varmints and insects and lizards! Great!!
Posted by: IowaCowgirl | June 17th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Hi Martha,
It is very moving to see photos of places one has never been before. Thank you for being ‘curious and inquisitive’ about the world so we may share in some of your thrilling experiences! When you wondered whether you would see King or nor, I thought, ‘where’s Carol Burnett when you need her.’ I love her Tarzan call! Also, “Hi to Idzan – I appreciate your added bits of information.” Trish
Posted by: Trish | June 17th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Martha,
Picture 16- the one I saw in Sarawak jungle was about an inch in diameter and legend has it that if you put a curled one on your tongue and it unfurled itself and walked on your tongue you will be a great singer!
Posted by: Badariah Ferneyhough | June 17th, 2010 at 10:57 am
What an incredible journey! What are the best places in the US to see orang-utans - any sanctuaries or zoos I should check out?
Posted by: Emily from cinda b | June 17th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Thank you for your thoughts, Idzan. I'm sure that, although wonderful, the trip will be emotional at times, too. I only wish that we had more than two weeks to fit it all in! Darn jobs! ;-
Posted by: Jenny | June 17th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Your pictures are just fantastic!! I can only imagine the feeling of sighting King for the first time. I don't think I would have left that spot being captivated by such an incredible encounter. However, I have looked like the little tarsier some mornings....I think!!!
Posted by: Cheree | June 17th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
What an amazing experience seeing the King. Thank you for sharing the photographs.
Posted by: Christina | June 17th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Wow, what a great adventure. The rainforest is such a wonderful experience of just how wonderfully this world is designed and made. I am glad you were able to share this with us.
Posted by: JD Frazier | June 17th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Those pictures are so amazing it almost doesn't seem real! You seriously have one amazing adventurous spirit!
Posted by: Wendy | June 17th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Hi Martha, This continued blog about your visit to that rain forest was absolutely stunning! You, Memrie and Sophie were so fortunate to see all of the beauty that existed there and I feel fortunate to see all of your photos of this delightful trip!! I not only love the photos of you three, but seeing the trees, vines, flowers, insects, gibbons, tarsier, lizard, red leaf monkeys, the delicious food and especially King, the orangutan was really superb!!! Picture #51 reminded me of your beautiful farm! Thanks again for everything you share with us! Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | June 17th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Hi Martha
During a wedding dinner last year end, a distance associate chatted with me and the first thing she commented was "Hey, you look elegant and beautiful. You know, did anyone tell you that you look a bit like Martha Stewart?" I thanked her for the compliment. Since then, I have been your avid fan. Great that you had a pleasant and awesome trip to Malaysia. Cheers.
Posted by: Callie | June 18th, 2010 at 2:16 am
The beauty of the rainforest is truly royal. Thanks for sharing the journey. King took my breath away!
Posted by: E. Teresa Touey | June 18th, 2010 at 10:50 am
Dear Martha,
It seems you had such a memorable and enjoyed the trip into the rainforest in Sabah and met the King.I am really enjoyed and love reading your blog since last year.Hoping u will not forget to come to Malaysia again because there so much places that u should visit in Malaysia.
Salam sayang from me to U Martha
Posted by: Mohd Alif Shahril,Kuala Lumpur | June 18th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Hi Martha! I really enjoyed meeting you in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the annual Canada Blooms flower show...thanks for letting me take a picture of your boots (as you know i put it on my blog story on shoes). I really have enjoyed reading these posts about your exotic trip to Malaysia...the food looks and sounds out of this world...such variety! Well, for any of your readers my wordpess blog has a great contest to the Amazon. Here's the link contest « Maydelory's Blog http://bit.ly/9nJvGN
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | June 20th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Great photos of King and the tarsiers! To see them up close in their native habitat is a rare and unique experience. Thanks for sharing the photos!
Posted by: arline | June 21st, 2010 at 11:47 am
I love the pics of the suspension bridge. Canada has a couple; but one that is absolutely great for both adults and children is Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver city, British Columbia. You can take a city bus to the front door of this magnificent tourist attraction. 800-year-old ancient Old Growth Forest fir trees. The brige is 230-ft above the Capilano river. Walk high up in the trees tree-house to tree-house on the Treetops Adventure. You should do a blog from there and Vancouver City waterfront. http://www.capbridge.com Thanks Martha!
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | June 21st, 2010 at 2:17 pm