Samboja Lestari-
about an hour and a half bus-ride outside the city of Balikpapan, this is an incredible project where some very committed people have re-forested an area in hopes to create habitat for Orangutans. My first impression of this place is one of wonder, we agreed it could easily have been called Jurrasic Park instead. Down a long 4x4 dirt driveway we passed a sign directing vehicles to the sun bears, and a couple of man-made islands surrounded by moats where we could see some large shapes with orange hair swinging through the branches. Out of the surrounding jungle there is a tower that could be taken out of any fairy-tale. This is where we would spend the next five days.


During our stay here we were spoiled rotten with food, with buffet style meals and dessert plates with fresh fruits of mango, papaya, watermelon, rambutan, mangosteens and many more… We spent time watching and filming the orangutans on one of the islands, and participated in the feeding of the sun-bears. The sun bears are incredible, and reminded me more of the Tasmanian devils than any bears I have ever seen. They are extremely agile, and have long claws on the end of nimble fingers. In order for them to get exercise we hid their food around the compounds in difficult to reach places, up trees, under piles of logs, in burlap sacks tied and hung in awkward places, and along suspended logs that they would have to balance on to reach. The bears would then be released from the cages which they sleep in at night, and would begin ‘foraging’ for their meals. It was pretty awesome.

The orangutans were fascinating to watch, they are so strong and nimble- and smart!!
They exhibit so many human qualities that make them so interesting. I felt like I was learning about myself as much as about them.
During our stay here we visited a very sad place called Kilometer 38, where there are a group of orangutans that can never be released because they have serious diseases that would harm wild orangutan populations. We were so moved by these imprisoned animals- they are such beautiful and intelligent creatures. To see them reach through the bars at us, triggered for many of us a very paternal instinct. I felt like there had to be something we could do for them, some way we could make a change.

We were extremely fortunate to have Dr. Willie Smits arrive and make several presentations to our group about a great many things, and possible solutions to environmental problems. He is incredibly inspiring and motivational, not to mention quite a celebrity- so our time with him was very interesting in many ways.