Orangutan Feeding at Camp Leakey, Tanjung Puting Reserve, Central Kalimantan

Indonesian Borneo, or Kalimantan to take its proper name, has the highest number and greatest density of orangutans in the world.  Camp Leakey, located in the rainforests to the west of Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan is one of the best places to see for yourself the attempts to preserve this population and to protect the forest against the ever more aggressive loggers.

Established in 1971 by Dr. Biruté Galdikas and her then husband Rod Brindamour, Camp Leakey is a world renowned research facility predominantly focussing on orangutans but with far reaching projects on other endangered primates such as the proboscis monkey, along with studies on the rainforest ecosystem as a whole.

Home to a population of ‘ex-captive’ orangutans and their offspring, a trip to Camp Leakey offers guests the opportunity to get close to these wonderful animals and to experience at first hand their behavioural techniques.  The eco credentials of the park are fantastic and their history of re-introducing orangutans into the world is impressive.

After an early breakfast at your lodge a 2.5 hour cruise up the Leakey River will take you towards Camp Leakey - an orangutan research and breeding centre. You will be led by a local Ranger and your guide on a trek through the jungle and if you're lucky you will get a sighting of Tom, the King Orangutan of the area; he is about 30 years old and weighs over 100 kilograms. The trek will take you to the feeding platform where you will be able to see and help with the feeding of the orangutans. You will also have time to explore the centre's little museum, where you will start to get a feel for and understanding of the tragic destruction that is going on all around this beautiful wilderness.