The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC) was established in 1964 to rehabilitate orphaned orangutans. It has since grown from having just an outdoor platform to having an Outdoor Nursery viewing area. It is located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, making the area suitable for trekking and birding.
If you are coming from the Sandakan City Centre, SOURC is about a 40 minute (23KM) drive away. There are also many jungles lodges within a 1km radius of the area that one could opt for.
Generally visitors to Sepilok are able to see orangutans during the scheduled 10:00am and 3:00pm feeding session at the platform. Alternatively, some orangutans can be seen from the outdoor nursery. Have there been occasions where no orangutans have not shown up for feeding? Admittedly yes! And we give you this heads up, while not something that occurs frequently, the main reason the orangutans may not appear during feeding time, is because they managed to get food in the wild, especially during fruiting season. This is indeed a great feat in actual fact, as the whole purpose is to ensure these primates understand that their natural home is in the wild and not to be dependent instead on a conditioned environment.
“I have touched and hugged and orangutan. Why can’t I do so here?”
Because many human diseases could affect orangutans who share 96% similarities in DNA, hence at SOURC, we request that visitors do not touch the orangutans, especially those who may appear on the boardwalk.
Adjacent to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre is the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.