Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation
Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation
Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
148 reviews
Excellent
59
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19
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11
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Bruce N
Auckland, New Zealand201 contributions
Jan 2020
Worth the ride out to see this lovely creatures. The staff are very passionate about the apes. Go earlier in the day as in the heat the Orangutan's tend to find a nice cool place to have an afternoon nap. It is not a petting zoo and they are kept away from you but if you are lucky you will get to see some up close.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim B
Hove1,380 contributions
Feb 2020
A lovely trip across the lake to see these wonderful animals. It was very quiet on the day we visited so had a guide with just 4 people. Saw a lot of the Orang Utans and almost felt that we were the exhibition rather than them. Lots of good info on the breeding programme and welfare.
Written February 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simone C
314 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
It is not easy to reach, but it is also nice to enter less touristic routes.
We took a train to Tamping and then from there by taxi (Recommendation to book a driver so you already have security for the return because we had problems being an out of the way area).
After a short boat ride (5 minutes) you cross a small fenced path on an islet, with a Guide, showing Orango specimens as long as they feed or drink.
The route is unexciting, and the guides do not provide much information. Improveable.
We took a train to Tamping and then from there by taxi (Recommendation to book a driver so you already have security for the return because we had problems being an out of the way area).
After a short boat ride (5 minutes) you cross a small fenced path on an islet, with a Guide, showing Orango specimens as long as they feed or drink.
The route is unexciting, and the guides do not provide much information. Improveable.
Automatically translated
Written September 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MerylKendall
Leigh-on Sea, UK77 contributions
Feb 2020
It was an absolute pleasure to go and see these amazing creatures at Bukit Merah. There is a boat ride across to the island that takes about 20 minutes (it can be a bit hairy getting on and off the boat as it can be steep if the water level has gone down). When you get to the island it is humans that are caged in a tunnel while the Orang Utans have the freedom of the island. We had a very knowledgeable guide to tell us all about the animals and how the foundation is looking after them, and is was obvious that they are very much loved and well cared for there. We were able to get up pretty close to some of the Orang Utans and we could see how amazing and intelligent they are.
Written March 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Excursion23441272843
2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
It is not what we expected, after the experience with orangutans in Borneo. The guide did not explain anything to us, he just accompanied us. And how important the orangutans were, very sad. We saw a family of three members locked up and another male locked up, as if they were in a large cage at a zoo.
Written September 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
samandgary3
Richmond, UK93 contributions
Aug 2023
This was our 2nd visit following a previous trip in 2019.
I am disappointed to have to say that we did not enjoy our latest visit. Some of the issues lie with the foundation whilst others are beyond their control.
We had wanted to arrive for the 1st boat at 9 but we were told this was cancelled and we therefore arrive around 10, by this time there were a number of groups already visiting. The groups were large and very very noisy, exactly what we had wanted to avoid.
Additionally we only saw 4 orang-utans, all of which looked very lethargic. We also noticed that the foundation have installed electric inner fencing, we were told to stop fighting between the orang-utans which is understandable however the effect is to create a 'zoo like' atmosphere which wasn't the case in 2019.
We visited with our family and we had told them great things about the foundation, sadly the reality was far from that. My memory of the latest trip will be of noise, sad orang-utans and wire fencing.
I am disappointed to have to say that we did not enjoy our latest visit. Some of the issues lie with the foundation whilst others are beyond their control.
We had wanted to arrive for the 1st boat at 9 but we were told this was cancelled and we therefore arrive around 10, by this time there were a number of groups already visiting. The groups were large and very very noisy, exactly what we had wanted to avoid.
Additionally we only saw 4 orang-utans, all of which looked very lethargic. We also noticed that the foundation have installed electric inner fencing, we were told to stop fighting between the orang-utans which is understandable however the effect is to create a 'zoo like' atmosphere which wasn't the case in 2019.
We visited with our family and we had told them great things about the foundation, sadly the reality was far from that. My memory of the latest trip will be of noise, sad orang-utans and wire fencing.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jane Bates
1 contribution
Mar 2018 • Solo
Upon my arrival at Bukit Merah I soon noticed that the conditions that the animals were in were unacceptable. The orangutans were kept in cages that were barren and presented no way to entertain the animals, nor did the animals have any access to water. As the day went on I only saw more problems with the treatment of these beautiful creatures- I have outlined these problems below. I would like to make it clear that none of the problems I have highlighted are speculation- I (along with other volunteers) requested a meeting with Dr Sabapathy [-], who is the Chief Executive Officer of Bukit Merah. I also decided to leave the programme early as staying for the full four weeks was not an option for me after witnessing how these animals were treated. In my honest opinion, the general staff who work at Bukit Merah do not feel that what they are doing is wrong- I believe that the staff are unfortunately undertrained and do not posses the skills and knowledge needed to care for these beautiful animals. I think that the staff take their cues from Dr Sabapathy who wrongly directs them and cares more about his ‘research’ than he does about orangutan conservation. It is my hope that this report will somehow contribute to the exposure of the poor conditions that these intelligent and beautiful animals are subject too.
The cages:
While I understand the need to place the orangutans in different enclosures at night, the enclosures that the animals at Bukit Merah were sleeping in can only be described as cages. They were concrete slabs with metal bars and a wooden plank to sleep on. Some of the cages had old brown sacks in them that were hung out to dry each morning as they were soaked in urine and faeces, however these sacks were never washed or changed.
The cages also did not have any water supply. When I asked Dr Sabapathy about this he stated that it was impossible to provide them with water because the orangutans would just destroy whatever they put in the cages. This did not make sense to me.
When I asked the staff at Bukit Merah how much time the orangutans spent in these cages I was told that they are normally put to bed at around 6pm every evening, depending on the weather, and are released when the volunteers arrive in the morning at approximately 8/8:30am. This is the orangutans’ routine every day, which means that they are spending approximately fourteen hours a day in cages which equates to them spending more than half their lives in a concrete cell, with no water and nothing to do.
Their diets:
For breakfast, each orangutan was given warm milk mixed with milo. They were fed this through plastic bottles prior to their release into their daytime enclosures. When this was questioned in the meeting with Dr Sabapathy, he stated that the reason they give the animals milo with their milk is because they will not drink it plain. The raised many problems because wild animals should not be drinking milo, and on top of this, orangutans should not be drinking cow’s milk every morning.
For lunch, the orangutans had another bottle, however this time it was blended watermelon, diluted with sugar water. Or, on days when they had run out of watermelon, it was black current cordial mixed with sugar water. This was fed to the orangutans in a plastic bottle, that the volunteers would hold between the wires in the electric fences that surround the animal’s daytime enclosures. When this routine was questioned by me and the other volunteers, we were told that the centre cannot afford to buy fruit and other food items that would normally befit the diet of wild orangutans.
While we were never at the centre to witness the orangutans’ night time feedings, we did prepare their meals earlier in the day. The food that was prepared everyday was cooked rice, mixed with sardines, sometimes eggs. This combination sometimes changed, for example sometimes carrot was added to the rice. The way the quantity of the rice for measured for each orangutan was that the rice was moulded into balls, approximately the size of a fist.
One orangutan, Baboon, was extremely obese and apparently had been for years. When I pushed on why she was so overweight I was given multiple justifications for this. I was told that she was not obese, but she merely looked it due to her species. I was also told that she has been obese ever since her arrival at the centre and there was no way to change her weight. These answers were given to me by members of staff at Bukit Merah and when I asked Dr Sabapathy about Baboon’s weight he said that she is overweight because she will often drink Manu’s (her infant son) breakfast and/or lunch if he did not finish it. When I asked why they do not feed them separately, or why they allow her to drink his lunch considering the staff member has to hold the plastic bottle through the fence for them and are then able to control who drinks from it, I was told that this was impossible as she will deprive Manu of breastfeeding if she cannot drink his excess lunch. When I then asked why they allow Baboon to continue to breed if she is not an adequate mother, I was told that they allow the orangutans to copulate freely and do not control their breeding in order to help keep their environments natural. This was confusing me for as the foundation claimed that they do not have the money to sustain the dietary needs of the orangutans that they already house, so I did not understand why they were not taking measures to ensure that they do not have more animals that they cannot feed or care for appropriately.
Sonia:
Only once were we shown a separate block of cages that two orangutans were permanently kept in. While I cannot name the second orangutan as I cannot remember it, I can say that it was awful to see that these beautiful animals were being kept in these conditions. When we questioned Dr Sabapathy, he said that the animals were being kept there while BJ Island was being cleared as it had a rat infestation. He could not give us an exact date of when these orangutans were put in these cages and also could not remember exactly how long they had been in there, but he estimated that it was more than a month. I can confidentially say that the entire time I was volunteering at the centre, Sonia and the second orangutan were not released from the cages that were barely bigger than a meter in width and were completely concrete and barren. When I questioned as to why these two orangutans were not being held in daytime enclosures while BJ Island was being cleaned, I was told by the staff that it was because the orangutans were too smart. From what I witnessed, the keys to some of the gates that separate the enclosures from the public and staff members are kept on a piece of string next to the gate. According to the staff, these particular orangutans are too smart to be kept in larger daytime enclosures as they will grab the keys and escape.
While I was at Bukit Merah I did witness the released of Carlos into a daytime enclosure that another orangutan, Adam, would inhabit. Prior to this, Carlos was kept in a barren cage only 24/7 for over two weeks. Adam had this enclosure to himself as he could not be in the same enclosure as BJ because they are both dominant males and would fight each other to prove this dominance. Having my own knowledge in animal welfare and behaviour I completely understand why Adam had to remain separate from BJ to ensure they do not fight and both remain uninjured. What I do not understand however, is why it was then decided to place Carlos in the same enclosure as Adam as Carlos is also a dominant male. The logic behind this decision completely baffles me considering the foundations previous history of what happens when two dominant orangutans fight, as shown through BJ and Mike. I also do not understand the reasoning behind keeping these animals in cages simply because staff do not keep keys on their persons, so it is easy for them to escape.
Their behaviour:
Some of other volunteers and I were present when Carlos was first introduced into Adams enclosure as we had been completing forestry work outside of this area. Upon introduction to each other, Carlos and Adam both immediately took dominant positions and began making vocal noises and shaking nearby trees to show this dominance. This display of aggression soon escalated to Carlos breaking a tree branch and throwing it at Adam. It was around this time that a group of tourists started to walk past with a tour guide. When the two males began to show more aggression by hitting and biting each other, the tour guide said that this was harmless, natural behaviour and tried to quickly move the group along to the next exhibit. This was extremely concerning for me as although the displaying of dominance is natural behaviour for two male orangutans, it is definitely not harmless. The guide and other staff members however, seemed more concerned with the publics perception than they did of the safety and wellbeing of Carlos and Adam. Unfortunately, I left the programme a couple of days after this incident, so I do not know how this situation progressed.
In addition to this, when feeding Phat Phat, Tua and Hiroshi, they would often raise their arms above their heads and start clapping- almost as if they felt they had to do this in order to be fed. When the volunteers asked Dr Sabapathy about this odd behaviour he did not have a clear answer that explained why the animals behaved this way around feeding time.
Harry:
Harry is a beautiful, male orangutan who was kept in a large cage-like enclosure for the entire duration of my trip. He would be kept in a cage overnight like the other orangutans, however during the day he would not be moved to a large outdoor enclosure like the others, he would be moved to a larger cage that gave him room to move around. However, the larger cage was still made from concrete and was completely barren accept for a single, old tire for him to play with. When I asked why he was being kept in this cage and was not being released into a big daytime enclosure like the others, I was given various answers- none of which made sense. I was initially told that he was there because he was aggressive towards the other orangutans, however this does not make sense considering the foundations lack of concern with Carlos and Adam being aggressive towards each other. Then I was told that he was being kept separate because he was sick and needed to be monitored. This also did not make sense as his cage to sleep in at night was in the same area as the other orangutans- he could have reached through the bars to touch Baboon and her infant son Manu so if Harry was sick then he should have been completely isolated from the other animals. These answers both came from staff members at the foundation, however when I asked Dr Sabapathy directly, he told me that Harry was being kept in this large cage because his normal enclosure was broken. While this may have been true, it concerns me that he was being kept in a barren cage for weeks on end. I was at the centre for three weeks before I cut my trip short and Harry alternated from being kept in the night-time cages to this larger, barren cage the entire time.
Photographs:
When I first arrived at the centre I was told that volunteers were not allowed to take any photos of the cages due to publicity reasons. When I tried to take photos of the lunchtime feeding process with the orangutans I was again told that we could not take photos of this. The reason I was given was that the agency I had booked my travel through had not given us permission to take photos of the centre. I then asked that if I received permission from my agency would I be able to take photographs and I was told that I would. That day I emailed the agency I had booked my trip through and they said that they had no reason to believe that I would not be able to take photos and encouraged me to take photos and send back to them, so they could see how my trip was going. After receiving this email, I began to take photos again, only to be told by another member of staff that if I continued to take photos then Dr Sabapathy would not be happy. When I explained my conversation with the previous staff member and showed the email I had received from my travel company, I was told that they did not know anything about the agreement my agency had with the foundation. They said that Dr Sabapathy does not like volunteers taking photos of the orangutans from behind-the-scenes and would kick me off the volunteering programme if he found out. When I asked Dr Sabapathy about this in the group meeting his only response was that if tourists saw that our photos were better than theirs because the volunteers can get up close, they would get jealous.
The day after this meeting, before we started our daily routine at the foundation, the volunteers were asked by a member of staff to hand over their mobile phones. This was the first time this request had been made and when we asked why we needed to hand them over, we were told that a phone had been stolen a few months ago so this was to protect our property. This was odd since I had already been at the foundation for a week and other volunteers had been there longer than me, and we had never had to do this before. I did not feel comfortable handing over my personal property since I had not signed anything or agreed to do this before. When I stated that I was happy to sign an agreement that ensured that Bukit Merah would not be liable if my device was lost, stolen or damaged, I was still told that I had to hand it over for safe-keeping. I held my ground and insisted that I kept my device on me, since it would remain in my backpack that had a combination code lock on it and would remain with me at all times, I felt that it would be safe from theft. I was the only volunteer who was allowed to keep their mobile device, however, I was no longer allowed to be unsupervised when feeding the orangutans or when being in their sleeping area where the cages are. I was even monitored when I was simply walking from one area of Bukit Merah to another. Personally, I felt that this harsh monitoring was due to the fact that the centre felt that I was at risk of exposing what they were doing and how these animals were being treated. I also feel that this treatment only started after the volunteers meeting with Dr Sabapathy because he and the other staff did not realise that the volunteers would disagree so strongly with how the foundation was being managed.
The Research:
In the meeting with Dr Sabapathy I asked when the orangutans would be released into the wild, since their own information leaflets and their website states that they rehabilitate orangutans, and this was the reason I chose to volunteer at Bukit Merah. However, my question was not answered in a way I had respected- I was told that I was mistaken as the foundation does not rehabilitate orangutans, their focus was on research. Dr Sabapathy told the volunteers that the orangutans would only be released once his research was completed- which would potentially take years to complete. This research was based around the health of orangutans and how to treat different diseases- however none of his research contributes valuable information to the lives of orangutans or to orangutan conservation. When I questioned the rehabilitation aspect of Bukit Merah that is highlighted on their website, Dr Sabapathy went on to explain that BJ Island is used to rehabilitate the orangutans before their eventual release into the wild. However, he emphasized again that the orangutans will not be released until the end of his research. Some of the animals have been at the centre since it opened in 2000, so have spent eighteen years living in captivity, surrounded by humans and not receiving their appropriate diets. There is no way that these animals will ever be able to survive in the wild as they will not have the skills to survive and adapt.
The cages:
While I understand the need to place the orangutans in different enclosures at night, the enclosures that the animals at Bukit Merah were sleeping in can only be described as cages. They were concrete slabs with metal bars and a wooden plank to sleep on. Some of the cages had old brown sacks in them that were hung out to dry each morning as they were soaked in urine and faeces, however these sacks were never washed or changed.
The cages also did not have any water supply. When I asked Dr Sabapathy about this he stated that it was impossible to provide them with water because the orangutans would just destroy whatever they put in the cages. This did not make sense to me.
When I asked the staff at Bukit Merah how much time the orangutans spent in these cages I was told that they are normally put to bed at around 6pm every evening, depending on the weather, and are released when the volunteers arrive in the morning at approximately 8/8:30am. This is the orangutans’ routine every day, which means that they are spending approximately fourteen hours a day in cages which equates to them spending more than half their lives in a concrete cell, with no water and nothing to do.
Their diets:
For breakfast, each orangutan was given warm milk mixed with milo. They were fed this through plastic bottles prior to their release into their daytime enclosures. When this was questioned in the meeting with Dr Sabapathy, he stated that the reason they give the animals milo with their milk is because they will not drink it plain. The raised many problems because wild animals should not be drinking milo, and on top of this, orangutans should not be drinking cow’s milk every morning.
For lunch, the orangutans had another bottle, however this time it was blended watermelon, diluted with sugar water. Or, on days when they had run out of watermelon, it was black current cordial mixed with sugar water. This was fed to the orangutans in a plastic bottle, that the volunteers would hold between the wires in the electric fences that surround the animal’s daytime enclosures. When this routine was questioned by me and the other volunteers, we were told that the centre cannot afford to buy fruit and other food items that would normally befit the diet of wild orangutans.
While we were never at the centre to witness the orangutans’ night time feedings, we did prepare their meals earlier in the day. The food that was prepared everyday was cooked rice, mixed with sardines, sometimes eggs. This combination sometimes changed, for example sometimes carrot was added to the rice. The way the quantity of the rice for measured for each orangutan was that the rice was moulded into balls, approximately the size of a fist.
One orangutan, Baboon, was extremely obese and apparently had been for years. When I pushed on why she was so overweight I was given multiple justifications for this. I was told that she was not obese, but she merely looked it due to her species. I was also told that she has been obese ever since her arrival at the centre and there was no way to change her weight. These answers were given to me by members of staff at Bukit Merah and when I asked Dr Sabapathy about Baboon’s weight he said that she is overweight because she will often drink Manu’s (her infant son) breakfast and/or lunch if he did not finish it. When I asked why they do not feed them separately, or why they allow her to drink his lunch considering the staff member has to hold the plastic bottle through the fence for them and are then able to control who drinks from it, I was told that this was impossible as she will deprive Manu of breastfeeding if she cannot drink his excess lunch. When I then asked why they allow Baboon to continue to breed if she is not an adequate mother, I was told that they allow the orangutans to copulate freely and do not control their breeding in order to help keep their environments natural. This was confusing me for as the foundation claimed that they do not have the money to sustain the dietary needs of the orangutans that they already house, so I did not understand why they were not taking measures to ensure that they do not have more animals that they cannot feed or care for appropriately.
Sonia:
Only once were we shown a separate block of cages that two orangutans were permanently kept in. While I cannot name the second orangutan as I cannot remember it, I can say that it was awful to see that these beautiful animals were being kept in these conditions. When we questioned Dr Sabapathy, he said that the animals were being kept there while BJ Island was being cleared as it had a rat infestation. He could not give us an exact date of when these orangutans were put in these cages and also could not remember exactly how long they had been in there, but he estimated that it was more than a month. I can confidentially say that the entire time I was volunteering at the centre, Sonia and the second orangutan were not released from the cages that were barely bigger than a meter in width and were completely concrete and barren. When I questioned as to why these two orangutans were not being held in daytime enclosures while BJ Island was being cleaned, I was told by the staff that it was because the orangutans were too smart. From what I witnessed, the keys to some of the gates that separate the enclosures from the public and staff members are kept on a piece of string next to the gate. According to the staff, these particular orangutans are too smart to be kept in larger daytime enclosures as they will grab the keys and escape.
While I was at Bukit Merah I did witness the released of Carlos into a daytime enclosure that another orangutan, Adam, would inhabit. Prior to this, Carlos was kept in a barren cage only 24/7 for over two weeks. Adam had this enclosure to himself as he could not be in the same enclosure as BJ because they are both dominant males and would fight each other to prove this dominance. Having my own knowledge in animal welfare and behaviour I completely understand why Adam had to remain separate from BJ to ensure they do not fight and both remain uninjured. What I do not understand however, is why it was then decided to place Carlos in the same enclosure as Adam as Carlos is also a dominant male. The logic behind this decision completely baffles me considering the foundations previous history of what happens when two dominant orangutans fight, as shown through BJ and Mike. I also do not understand the reasoning behind keeping these animals in cages simply because staff do not keep keys on their persons, so it is easy for them to escape.
Their behaviour:
Some of other volunteers and I were present when Carlos was first introduced into Adams enclosure as we had been completing forestry work outside of this area. Upon introduction to each other, Carlos and Adam both immediately took dominant positions and began making vocal noises and shaking nearby trees to show this dominance. This display of aggression soon escalated to Carlos breaking a tree branch and throwing it at Adam. It was around this time that a group of tourists started to walk past with a tour guide. When the two males began to show more aggression by hitting and biting each other, the tour guide said that this was harmless, natural behaviour and tried to quickly move the group along to the next exhibit. This was extremely concerning for me as although the displaying of dominance is natural behaviour for two male orangutans, it is definitely not harmless. The guide and other staff members however, seemed more concerned with the publics perception than they did of the safety and wellbeing of Carlos and Adam. Unfortunately, I left the programme a couple of days after this incident, so I do not know how this situation progressed.
In addition to this, when feeding Phat Phat, Tua and Hiroshi, they would often raise their arms above their heads and start clapping- almost as if they felt they had to do this in order to be fed. When the volunteers asked Dr Sabapathy about this odd behaviour he did not have a clear answer that explained why the animals behaved this way around feeding time.
Harry:
Harry is a beautiful, male orangutan who was kept in a large cage-like enclosure for the entire duration of my trip. He would be kept in a cage overnight like the other orangutans, however during the day he would not be moved to a large outdoor enclosure like the others, he would be moved to a larger cage that gave him room to move around. However, the larger cage was still made from concrete and was completely barren accept for a single, old tire for him to play with. When I asked why he was being kept in this cage and was not being released into a big daytime enclosure like the others, I was given various answers- none of which made sense. I was initially told that he was there because he was aggressive towards the other orangutans, however this does not make sense considering the foundations lack of concern with Carlos and Adam being aggressive towards each other. Then I was told that he was being kept separate because he was sick and needed to be monitored. This also did not make sense as his cage to sleep in at night was in the same area as the other orangutans- he could have reached through the bars to touch Baboon and her infant son Manu so if Harry was sick then he should have been completely isolated from the other animals. These answers both came from staff members at the foundation, however when I asked Dr Sabapathy directly, he told me that Harry was being kept in this large cage because his normal enclosure was broken. While this may have been true, it concerns me that he was being kept in a barren cage for weeks on end. I was at the centre for three weeks before I cut my trip short and Harry alternated from being kept in the night-time cages to this larger, barren cage the entire time.
Photographs:
When I first arrived at the centre I was told that volunteers were not allowed to take any photos of the cages due to publicity reasons. When I tried to take photos of the lunchtime feeding process with the orangutans I was again told that we could not take photos of this. The reason I was given was that the agency I had booked my travel through had not given us permission to take photos of the centre. I then asked that if I received permission from my agency would I be able to take photographs and I was told that I would. That day I emailed the agency I had booked my trip through and they said that they had no reason to believe that I would not be able to take photos and encouraged me to take photos and send back to them, so they could see how my trip was going. After receiving this email, I began to take photos again, only to be told by another member of staff that if I continued to take photos then Dr Sabapathy would not be happy. When I explained my conversation with the previous staff member and showed the email I had received from my travel company, I was told that they did not know anything about the agreement my agency had with the foundation. They said that Dr Sabapathy does not like volunteers taking photos of the orangutans from behind-the-scenes and would kick me off the volunteering programme if he found out. When I asked Dr Sabapathy about this in the group meeting his only response was that if tourists saw that our photos were better than theirs because the volunteers can get up close, they would get jealous.
The day after this meeting, before we started our daily routine at the foundation, the volunteers were asked by a member of staff to hand over their mobile phones. This was the first time this request had been made and when we asked why we needed to hand them over, we were told that a phone had been stolen a few months ago so this was to protect our property. This was odd since I had already been at the foundation for a week and other volunteers had been there longer than me, and we had never had to do this before. I did not feel comfortable handing over my personal property since I had not signed anything or agreed to do this before. When I stated that I was happy to sign an agreement that ensured that Bukit Merah would not be liable if my device was lost, stolen or damaged, I was still told that I had to hand it over for safe-keeping. I held my ground and insisted that I kept my device on me, since it would remain in my backpack that had a combination code lock on it and would remain with me at all times, I felt that it would be safe from theft. I was the only volunteer who was allowed to keep their mobile device, however, I was no longer allowed to be unsupervised when feeding the orangutans or when being in their sleeping area where the cages are. I was even monitored when I was simply walking from one area of Bukit Merah to another. Personally, I felt that this harsh monitoring was due to the fact that the centre felt that I was at risk of exposing what they were doing and how these animals were being treated. I also feel that this treatment only started after the volunteers meeting with Dr Sabapathy because he and the other staff did not realise that the volunteers would disagree so strongly with how the foundation was being managed.
The Research:
In the meeting with Dr Sabapathy I asked when the orangutans would be released into the wild, since their own information leaflets and their website states that they rehabilitate orangutans, and this was the reason I chose to volunteer at Bukit Merah. However, my question was not answered in a way I had respected- I was told that I was mistaken as the foundation does not rehabilitate orangutans, their focus was on research. Dr Sabapathy told the volunteers that the orangutans would only be released once his research was completed- which would potentially take years to complete. This research was based around the health of orangutans and how to treat different diseases- however none of his research contributes valuable information to the lives of orangutans or to orangutan conservation. When I questioned the rehabilitation aspect of Bukit Merah that is highlighted on their website, Dr Sabapathy went on to explain that BJ Island is used to rehabilitate the orangutans before their eventual release into the wild. However, he emphasized again that the orangutans will not be released until the end of his research. Some of the animals have been at the centre since it opened in 2000, so have spent eighteen years living in captivity, surrounded by humans and not receiving their appropriate diets. There is no way that these animals will ever be able to survive in the wild as they will not have the skills to survive and adapt.
Written February 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kgenge
Tarneit, Australia51 contributions
Jan 2018 • Solo
Where to begin,
After volunteering here for two weeks I had a really good insight into the operations of the sanctuary and how and why things happened.
As someone who has volunteered to help conserve such an amazing animal, I found some things very hard to accept.
From a tourists perspective, they see orangutans which are ‘free’ and have a good run of the island.
They get a tour and are in awe of the fact that they are the ones inside a cage and the orangutans are on the outside looking in.
Tourists are semi educated into the dietary requirements of orangutans. However, the information they are given is altered to please them.
For example, if lucky, tourists will be able to see a maximum of around 16 orangutans running ‘free’. When in fact, there are 4 orangutans which are hidden from tourists and are permanently in cages. When asked, some are put in there because they show aggression (which is a characteristic of a wild orangutan) and one who is in a larger cage only due to the fact that he cannot be let out as the electric fence does not harm him.
Witnessing this and opting to spend my time helping these animals, and having to hand feed them through a cage was demoralising.
As exciting as the close encounters we were able to have with them was, such as hand feeding, was overwhelmed by the realisation that what we were giving them was unnatural to a wild orangutan. Things were sweetened with syrups and sugar, fruit was cut up and deseeded for them.
As this is a conservation project, you would assume that the plan is to rehabilitate and release these animals into the wild.
When asked, we were told that when ready, they are sent to another island. However when you read above, the animals who are ‘aggressive’ and could make it in the wild are spending their days in small metal cages.
If this island does exist, I think it’s great but I would think that it should be used more frequently especially on those who are no longer suited to the life at the sanctuary.
NOTE TO FUTURE VOLUNTEERS:
If you love orangutans don’t let this put you off. You really are making an impact and helping these animals.
If you do volunteer keep this in mind, as most days there are rangers who won’t even say hello to you and will just hand you mops and buckets and watch you clean and cut plants as they play on their iPhone.
I found this to be quite belittling as we were dedicating our time for the orangutans but it seemed as though we were just doing some jobs to either fill in time or make the rangers life a whole lot easier.
But even with all that, this is an experience I could never get in Australia, and I am in such awe of orangutans and how amazing they really are.
I don’t want this to be a negative review - at the end of the day I understand how lucky I am to be in a country who values and nurtures animals like we do in Australia. Most zoos and conservation projects at home show a lot more love and dedication. Most animals we are helping we see as equals.
I’m not sure if it is the culture, as a lot of people find this place to be amazing - and from a tourists perspective it really is. But from a conservation side I feel as though a lot more could be done. Even by simply adding leaves to their enclosures at night so they can create a nest or giving them fruit to pick apart on their own. All of these things which keep them occupied and prepare them for a life beyond.
As I take a step back, I realise that these animals are disappearing quickly and that’s why it’s important to conserve and protect them. But if we want to keep the culture that wild orangutans are renowned for, then we need to create a conservation project which endeavours to achieve this.
I do not want to deter anyone, this place is pretty special to me now that I’ve been able to meet some orangutans that have real personality, I just want you to go in with your eyes open and ask the questions you might be to scared to ask.
Sometimes you need to be the voice for those who cannot speak.
After volunteering here for two weeks I had a really good insight into the operations of the sanctuary and how and why things happened.
As someone who has volunteered to help conserve such an amazing animal, I found some things very hard to accept.
From a tourists perspective, they see orangutans which are ‘free’ and have a good run of the island.
They get a tour and are in awe of the fact that they are the ones inside a cage and the orangutans are on the outside looking in.
Tourists are semi educated into the dietary requirements of orangutans. However, the information they are given is altered to please them.
For example, if lucky, tourists will be able to see a maximum of around 16 orangutans running ‘free’. When in fact, there are 4 orangutans which are hidden from tourists and are permanently in cages. When asked, some are put in there because they show aggression (which is a characteristic of a wild orangutan) and one who is in a larger cage only due to the fact that he cannot be let out as the electric fence does not harm him.
Witnessing this and opting to spend my time helping these animals, and having to hand feed them through a cage was demoralising.
As exciting as the close encounters we were able to have with them was, such as hand feeding, was overwhelmed by the realisation that what we were giving them was unnatural to a wild orangutan. Things were sweetened with syrups and sugar, fruit was cut up and deseeded for them.
As this is a conservation project, you would assume that the plan is to rehabilitate and release these animals into the wild.
When asked, we were told that when ready, they are sent to another island. However when you read above, the animals who are ‘aggressive’ and could make it in the wild are spending their days in small metal cages.
If this island does exist, I think it’s great but I would think that it should be used more frequently especially on those who are no longer suited to the life at the sanctuary.
NOTE TO FUTURE VOLUNTEERS:
If you love orangutans don’t let this put you off. You really are making an impact and helping these animals.
If you do volunteer keep this in mind, as most days there are rangers who won’t even say hello to you and will just hand you mops and buckets and watch you clean and cut plants as they play on their iPhone.
I found this to be quite belittling as we were dedicating our time for the orangutans but it seemed as though we were just doing some jobs to either fill in time or make the rangers life a whole lot easier.
But even with all that, this is an experience I could never get in Australia, and I am in such awe of orangutans and how amazing they really are.
I don’t want this to be a negative review - at the end of the day I understand how lucky I am to be in a country who values and nurtures animals like we do in Australia. Most zoos and conservation projects at home show a lot more love and dedication. Most animals we are helping we see as equals.
I’m not sure if it is the culture, as a lot of people find this place to be amazing - and from a tourists perspective it really is. But from a conservation side I feel as though a lot more could be done. Even by simply adding leaves to their enclosures at night so they can create a nest or giving them fruit to pick apart on their own. All of these things which keep them occupied and prepare them for a life beyond.
As I take a step back, I realise that these animals are disappearing quickly and that’s why it’s important to conserve and protect them. But if we want to keep the culture that wild orangutans are renowned for, then we need to create a conservation project which endeavours to achieve this.
I do not want to deter anyone, this place is pretty special to me now that I’ve been able to meet some orangutans that have real personality, I just want you to go in with your eyes open and ask the questions you might be to scared to ask.
Sometimes you need to be the voice for those who cannot speak.
Written January 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter3152
Auckland, New Zealand353 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
We were really looking forward to this trip. It all sounded great and our ship extolled the virtues of this "sanctuary". Even allowing for the rather pathetic organisation, poor coach guide, overcrowded boat trip and miserable lunch arrangements...we could have forgiven all that....except we felt conned by the laudable objectives of the place...from the evidence of the day.....if we were wrong...they had every opportunity to provide us with proof to the contrary....and they could not.
For all they say and write about this place, it simply does not bear scrutiny. Along with several others in our party on the day, we were really interested to see how this organisation was enabling Orang-Utans to be rehabilitated into this part of the world. The answer was,...not forthcoming and totally evasive. When given the opportunity, the staff can point to no success stories at all. It is not surprising as the whole set up is clearly well geared up to make money from tourists and school parties.
Yes, you see the animals...but in cages with electric fences and performing tricks on demand. The "wardens" are more like warders as the animals are certainly in deceptively small cages covering in total just a few acres of the larger island.
How can the next generations of the animals be ready for the wild when they are rewarded when they mimic the offensive antics of their trainers for tourist photographs, e.g. performing ballet moves on demand or catching food thrown into the air??? We asked these questions and received no answer.
This is a very commercial business venture in the guise of something they were totally unable to convince us about throughout the visit. I can only reflect that to visit this place is to condone animal exploitation and is unworthy of any individual, any cruise line or holiday company.
I have never written a review in this tone before and hope I never have to again...go if you must...I will be interested in your views!
For all they say and write about this place, it simply does not bear scrutiny. Along with several others in our party on the day, we were really interested to see how this organisation was enabling Orang-Utans to be rehabilitated into this part of the world. The answer was,...not forthcoming and totally evasive. When given the opportunity, the staff can point to no success stories at all. It is not surprising as the whole set up is clearly well geared up to make money from tourists and school parties.
Yes, you see the animals...but in cages with electric fences and performing tricks on demand. The "wardens" are more like warders as the animals are certainly in deceptively small cages covering in total just a few acres of the larger island.
How can the next generations of the animals be ready for the wild when they are rewarded when they mimic the offensive antics of their trainers for tourist photographs, e.g. performing ballet moves on demand or catching food thrown into the air??? We asked these questions and received no answer.
This is a very commercial business venture in the guise of something they were totally unable to convince us about throughout the visit. I can only reflect that to visit this place is to condone animal exploitation and is unworthy of any individual, any cruise line or holiday company.
I have never written a review in this tone before and hope I never have to again...go if you must...I will be interested in your views!
Written May 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheMuppets2015
Greenville, MS8 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
Before visiting Malaysia, I had heard of the orangutan centers in Sarawak and Sabah, but I had never heard of this island, so I was surprised (in a good way) when I found out about this 'rehabilitation' center on the Malaysian peninsula. I have never seen any orangutans, but I think they are fascinating people and I really look forward to be able to observe them one day.
At first I was excited about this island, and I was planning on going there this week, but I've been reading about their program and now I'm a bit sceptical.
It seems to me that this center is really proud of their very high birth rates, but they only way they achieved those rates is by taking the babies away from the mothers at a very young age. I've read some articles stating that some females have had 3 babies in 3 years time? If this is true, this is really worrying me.
When the babies are 1 year old, they have this special program that will teach them how to survive in the wild. This center has existed for 15 years now and I can't find proof anywhere that they do release these animals in the wild. I also think orangutan mothers can teach their children to survive in the wild by themselves. If humans teach them all these things, what will happen when they grow up and have babies of their own? Will they be able to teach them correctly, or will human help also be needed?
Think about it, this is a big scam. 'Wild orangutans that roam freely on the island?' ... They are not wild, look at the pictures, the babies are in diapers, it's ridiculous! But of course all the stupid tourists think that's so cute. They are not free, they live on an island! Orangutans can't swim, so they are stuck on that island.
If people think that the concept of being in a cage while they moving around freely is a good concept... then you'd better think about it twice. They also are in a cage, the island is a cage, only it doesn't look like one! This is also a way of lurring people into the lie that this place is. 'Oh look, WE are in the cage'... Yes, you are, but they are too.
One of the researchers on this island said 'Why would we put them back in the jungle? What would we learn of that?' EXCUSE ME, the jungle is their home, that is where you should do research on them, not in captivity!!!
Maybe we should rescue all the orangutans by taking them away from the Bornean and Sumatran jungles and putting them on an island in the Malaysian peninsula. Sure, that's a good way of thinking... Maybe you should try to do something about the palm plantations ruining their habitats instead!!!
I don't think I want to support this program, and I suggest you do the same.
This is wrong, this is not a research center, this is a zoo in a very good disguise.
Remember, orangutans are people, just like us. Would you like to be stuck on a small island, with your babies taken away every time? And stupid tourists coming to take pictures of your baby in diapers?!!!
I don't think so.
At first I was excited about this island, and I was planning on going there this week, but I've been reading about their program and now I'm a bit sceptical.
It seems to me that this center is really proud of their very high birth rates, but they only way they achieved those rates is by taking the babies away from the mothers at a very young age. I've read some articles stating that some females have had 3 babies in 3 years time? If this is true, this is really worrying me.
When the babies are 1 year old, they have this special program that will teach them how to survive in the wild. This center has existed for 15 years now and I can't find proof anywhere that they do release these animals in the wild. I also think orangutan mothers can teach their children to survive in the wild by themselves. If humans teach them all these things, what will happen when they grow up and have babies of their own? Will they be able to teach them correctly, or will human help also be needed?
Think about it, this is a big scam. 'Wild orangutans that roam freely on the island?' ... They are not wild, look at the pictures, the babies are in diapers, it's ridiculous! But of course all the stupid tourists think that's so cute. They are not free, they live on an island! Orangutans can't swim, so they are stuck on that island.
If people think that the concept of being in a cage while they moving around freely is a good concept... then you'd better think about it twice. They also are in a cage, the island is a cage, only it doesn't look like one! This is also a way of lurring people into the lie that this place is. 'Oh look, WE are in the cage'... Yes, you are, but they are too.
One of the researchers on this island said 'Why would we put them back in the jungle? What would we learn of that?' EXCUSE ME, the jungle is their home, that is where you should do research on them, not in captivity!!!
Maybe we should rescue all the orangutans by taking them away from the Bornean and Sumatran jungles and putting them on an island in the Malaysian peninsula. Sure, that's a good way of thinking... Maybe you should try to do something about the palm plantations ruining their habitats instead!!!
I don't think I want to support this program, and I suggest you do the same.
This is wrong, this is not a research center, this is a zoo in a very good disguise.
Remember, orangutans are people, just like us. Would you like to be stuck on a small island, with your babies taken away every time? And stupid tourists coming to take pictures of your baby in diapers?!!!
I don't think so.
Written June 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ad agosto saremo a penang per 2 giorni e vorremo fare visita al centro. Qualcuno sa come si può raggiungere il centro da penang? Ci sono bus o taxi? Soprattutto nel Mese di agosto si riesce a raggiungere il centro con la barca o il lago non è navigabile? Grazie
Written February 17, 2019
I have emailed but no response, does anyone know if orangutan island is open on 24th and 25th December. If so what would be the best way of getting there? private hire, grab or organised tour trip?
Written November 5, 2018
Not sure whether they open on 24th & 25th .
You can go to private Jetty near the island by car and then take the boat to the island
Written November 14, 2018
how much is it to get in? & are there public buses to get there or do you have to uber or hire a driver?
Written December 25, 2017
Do you know whether they will be open over Chinese New Year?
Written April 25, 2017
Do you know whether they will be open over Chinese New Year?
Written April 25, 2017
Hi, do you mind telling me more about your private car/ transport please? We wanted to go to the Orangutang sanctuary too but was quoted a min of RM500!! Way too steep for 2 adults and a child from Penang island. Thanks
Written March 9, 2016
Hi,
We used Mr Khoo in Penang, very lovely and obliging man. Recommended by our host. He has a clean late model, 5 seater van. Interesting and safe driver, speaks very good English. PM if you would like his contact details. Unfortunately, we don't have his email as we communicated by sms whilst there.
There were four adults in our group so myr300 return was reasonable. I note on TA that others found cheaper transport. Suggest to also try the MyTeksi app. We found the app very helpful whilst in Malaysia.
Enjoy your trip.
Written March 10, 2016
orkhidtours
Klang, Malaysia
Hi there, i will be having a trip there and was wondering if i can have any short ativities for my group. Hope you can advise me more on the activities vailable.
My team is from the age of 30 to 65.
I would like to have a get to gethr activity between my group. My trip will be 2D1N stay. If you can advise me soonest posssible, it will be greatfull.
Thank you
Regards
Written July 8, 2015
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