Semenggoh Wildlife Centre

Why was Semenggoh Wildlife Centre established?

SWC was established in 1975 to rehabilitate wild animals that are found orphaned or injured including those confiscated from the public. After their rehabilitation, they will be released back to the wild particularly in Totally Protected Areas (TPA). The enactment of the Wildlife Protection Ordinance in 1998 has given the Centre added impetus in its mission

Do orangutans occur naturally in Semenggoh?

Most of the Orangutans in Semenggoh are the results of SWC rehabilitation programme. We rehabilitate the Orangutans found in captivity to adapt in the world so they can survive on their own

What is the age group of orangutans confiscated or surrendered to the centre?

Most of the orangutans were brought to Semenggoh at a very tender age of between 1 to 5 years old

Had any young orangutans been born in the Centre?

Yes, history was created in 1996 when two orangutans - a male and a female were born in the centre. They were the first ever births recorded since successfully rehabilitated Orangutans were released there on 16 March 1979. They were later named Analisa and Anorma

What is the orangutan rehabilitation process in the Centre like?

The confiscated or surrendered orangutans that were brought to Semenggoh Wildlife centre had to undergo quarantine of up to 90 days and subsequent stages of training - Kindergarten, Primary & Secondary before release. We only release the orangutans once they can fend for themselves. The "alumni's" will be monitored closely to ensure they are in good health and are comping well after the release.

Why does the Centre still feed the Orangutans even though they have been successfully rehabilitated and released ?

As the 653 hectares of forest does not supply enough wild food for all the orangutans in the Reserve, feeding is still carried out to supplement their diet. The orangutan with its large body has a large appetite and 1 mile square radius of the average rainforest can only support a low population density of about 2.5 orangutans.
Orangutans spend at least 60% of their daylight hours eating and searching for food. Their diet consists of 300 different kinds of fruit such as barks, honey, young shoots, insects and occasional bird egg and small vertebrae. Fruits make up 60% of the orangutan's diet.

What is the feeding time for orangutans in the Centre?

The feeding time are as follows:

Morning: 9 am - 10 am
Afternoon: 3 pm - 4 pm

What do we feed orangutans with?

We feed them with sweet potatoes, bananas, coconut, papayas, oranges, sugar canes, pineapples and hard boiled eggs. After fruiting season from November to March they are given deworming pills which are taken with milk

Where do orangutans sleep?

They sleep in nests constructed out of leaves and branches. An orangutan will usually build 2-3 nests in a day

How big can an orangutan get?

An adult male can weigh more than 100 kg and stands above 1.4 m tall upright. Adult females are normally half the size of the adult males and weigh between 40-50 kg

At what age does a female orangutan reproduce?

Based on our record, Analisa gave birth at the age of 10

What is the gestation period of an orangutan?

Similar to humans, a female orangutan will carry her offspring for 9 months before giving birth

Do orangutans give birth to twins?

Orangutans almost always give birth to single offspring, however occasionally twins are born although chances for both to survive are slim.

How long does a baby orangutan stay with its mother?

A baby orangutan depends on its mother and can never leave her until the age of 1 to 2. From birth, the baby orangutan is totally dependent on the mother for food, milk and shelter. Only after 1 to 2 years , the baby will start to exploit its surroundings, but never more than 3 meters away from its mother