September 25, 2014
Tanjung Puting National Park & Camp Leakey
Finally, the long awaited day arrived; our visit to Camp
Leakey to see orangutans. The ship docked near Pangkalan Bun, Central
Kalimantan in the southwest part of Borneo.
We started loading all 13 Zodiacs at
7:30 for a two-hour-long ride up the Sungai Sekonyer River. Along the way we
began seeing some orangutans and proboscis monkeys in the trees.
At the first landing we disembarked and walked about a mile
on a wooden boardwalk to the first feeding station. The handlers brought big
baskets of bananas, grapefruit and sugar cane. Then they poured milk into two
bowls.
Deep in the jungle workers began a loud mournful call signaling the
orangutans that the food was ready. Soon a female orangutan came with her tiny
baby clinging to her back. The pair enjoyed drinking some milk then sauntered
over to eat a few bananas before leaving the platform and heading for the
forest.
When no more orangutans came, we left for the long walk back
to the landing. We boarded Klotoks - the double deck wooden boats that provide
the main form of transportation along the river. We were about six per boat as
we headed slowly two more hours further up the river to Camp Leakey.
Dr. Biruté Galdikas, who dedicated it to the study of
orangutans, founded Camp Leakey in 1971. She had been traveling with us on the NG Orion and this was a “home coming”
for her. From the landing we had another long walk to the camp and the feeding
station. Since Camp Leakey was open to the public, there was a seating area from
which to watch the platform.
Again, the workers brought big baskets of bananas,
grapefruit and sugar cane sticks and poured milk into big bowls. Again, in the jungle, began the loud
“come to dinner” calls. Soon a mother and adolescent youngster came to eat a
little and drink some milk.
Right after they left the platform “Tom,” a big male,
climbed onto the platform. He was magnificent and huge. He is well known to the
workers and Dr. Galdikas had hoped he would show up. Since fruit and grubs were
plentiful in the forest, not many orangutans came, but those that did gave us a
good opportunity to observe and photograph them in the wild.
Eventually the mother and older baby came back and there was
an amusing interaction between them and Tom over a bowl of milk. First the
young one took one can and drank from it as did its mother. Then Tom slowly
reached over and took the milk can back. He clearly was showing his dominance.
During the hour that we watched, the orangutans came and left
several times. Each time provided some interesting interactions.
Soon some of us were guided over to Dr. Galdikas’s house
where she sat on the porch visiting with members of our group. Sitting slightly
behind her, loving hand on the Doctor’s shoulder, was Siswi. When Dr. Galdikas
founded Camp Leakey in 1971 it was in the middle of Siswi’s mother’s habitat.
So Dr. Galdikas had known Siswi since she was born, 40 years ago. The obvious
bond between the two of them was precious. Although Siswi is wild, she came to
spend time with Dr. Galdikas and was even tender with others who came to sit
and visit. I have to say that observing this interaction was a highlight of the
trip.
After a reasonable stay at the camp we walked along the path
back to the landing where the Klotoks waited for us. There was a real traffic
jam with so many boats in such a narrow river. Eventually we were on our boat,
second to leave, heading slowly back down the river for a four-hour-long cruise
all the way to the
Orion.
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| Proboscus Monkeys |
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| Klotok Cruise back to ship |
Along the way we saw many proboscis monkeys, most of them
already high in the trees bedded down for the night. And here and there we captured pictures of a few more
orangutans. Once we were underway we were served snacks and soft drinks to help
last us until we re-boarded the ship for dinner.
We were treated to a lovely sunset as we cruised along, finishing the
journey in the dark. The Klotoks took us all the way across the large river and
quickly each tied up to the side of the ship to let us off before moving out of
the way. All in all, it was a very full, eventful and enlightening day. Dinner
was on the back deck as soon as we were back.
That's it for now.
Grace and Paul
In the morning we took a bus into town and around a bit.
Since we didn’t exchange any money, we didn’t buy anything. We walked along the
nice waterfront and browsed through some of the shops. Some people found some
interesting things to purchase.
In the afternoon we landed on a larger sandy beach near the
park headquarters. There we encountered our first primates. After seeing the viper
in the bushes we spotted a number families of Macaque Monkeys. They were doing
the usual grooming and a mother was nursing a small baby. One had found a can
of Coke and used a number of methods to drink it all. 
