Today’s Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants will
be presented in Malay,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Japanese,
Korean, (Malay,)
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
I think they are
more or less like humans.
Because of that they are
called “orangutan.”
Orangutan actually means
“man of the forest.”
Orangutans are the
largest living tree animals.
They build nests
with branches and leaves
and sleep aloft amidst
the greenery at night.
On rainy days,
these intelligent primates
use large leaves as shelter
to prevent themselves
from getting wet.
Scientific research
shows that about 97%
the orangutan’s
genetic makeup is
the same as a human’s.
An average orangutan
is about 120 to 150
centimeters tall,
similar to a human child.
Orangutans have
enormous arm spans –
longer than other
Great Apes
and even longer than
their own height
when standing erect!
Both male and female
orangutans have splendid
long reddish-brown hair
and have arms, limbs,
hands and feet
similar to that of a human.
Male orangutans grow
a beard and moustache
when they reach
adulthood!
Lively viewers, welcome
to Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Today we travel to
the warm Malaysian state
of Sabah
in northern Borneo to
visit the Nature Reserve.
The Reserve’s
conservation efforts
include a rehabilitation
program for our
lovely and adorable
orangutan friends.
The Nature Reserve
at Shangri-La’s
Rasa Ria Resort was
started in June 1996.
Comprised of over 160
hectares of virgin tropical
forest, the Reserve is part
of the scenic Shangri-La
Rasa Ria Resort
in Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah, Malaysia.
The sanctuary is
a joint project between
the resort and
the Sabah State
Wildlife Department.
The main objective
of establishing
the Nature Reserve at
Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria
Resort was to set up
a rehabilitation program
for the orangutans and
also for the students from
other districts nearby
to be able to visit
Shangri-La’s
Rasa Ria Resort as
the conservation center
in Sepilok is too
far away for them to
go to from the west coast.
Therefore we built
a conservation center
in Kota Kinabalu so
the students can also visit
the nature reserve here.
Mr. Sail Jamarudin,
Director of Recreation
and Conservation at
the resort now provides
more background on the
Reserve and its activities.
The main role of
this rehabilitation center
is to rehabilitate
those orangutans
found in Sabah.
For example, orangutans
have been found in
plantations and therefore
our duty is to ensure
that the orangutan
rehabilitation
is carried out smoothly.
We make sure that
the young orangutans
receive proper care
such as first teaching
the young orangutans
how to survive alone and
also providing them with
forest foods such as fruits.
Then these young
orangutans will be
brought to the forest
where they will be taught
to hold onto a tree,
climb a tree,
swing on a tree and also
to build their own nests
during this period of time.
That is the way we
carry out rehabilitation,
and then
when it is successful
or their condition has
improved and they have
enough confidence to
go to the huge forest,
the Wildlife Department
will bring them to
a larger nature reserve
like Sepilok
(Orang Utan Sanctuary)
or Danum Valley.
We number each of
the orangutans so that
after they are released
into the large forests.
we can monitor whether
we have succeeded or not
using the chip that
we placed in their bodies
that can trace the
orangutans’ whereabouts.
These cerebral
endangered primates are
native to the rainforests
on the islands of
Sumatra and Borneo.
Because orangutans
are very dependent
upon trees and
hardly ever come down
to the ground, they are
particularly threatened
by logging as well as
other human activities
such as hunting and
commercial planting.
Even weather events can
cause substantial losses
of forest cover.
The resort has
a tree planting program
to replace forest lost
due to tropical storm Greg
in 1996.
For planting or
restoration of plants
in this place we have
a program called
“Tree Planting.”
These trees are
local fruit trees.
Our purpose of planting
in this nature reserve is
because it is important to
the animals in this forest.
When the trees bear
fruits, they can be given
to the animals
throughout this60 acres
of forest.
Tree planting is not only
meant for the animals
here but it is also
very important to nature
because we plant trees
and the trees will grow
and thus nature
will respond.
Not only are they
fruit trees but
the right species of trees
that should be here;
we have returned them to
their original place
and we re- planted them
accordingly to avoid
undesirable changes.
About 12 years
have passed and we
continue this program
because we believe
this program is
very important to nature,
not only to the animals
but also to humankind.
Besides orangutans,
there are also other
wonderful animals that
call the Nature Reserve
home.
We also have other
species of monkey such as
the long tailed monkey
or we call them the
“Long Tailed Macaque.”
Other than that species
we also have another
species called
“Slow Loris” or Kongkang.
We also have the
Sambar deer, Mouse deer
and Barking deer here
other than the orangutan.
Besides those, we also
have animals like
the Bear Cat that can be
found here, and
all of these animals
are adopted by us
in the beginning when
they were injured
and through this way
we brought them here
and treat them because
we have a clinic here.
When Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
returns, we take a closer
look at the orangutan
rehabilitation program
at the Nature Reserve
located at Shangri-La’s
Rasa Ria Resort
in Malaysia.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television.
We humans live in
a world shared with
wild animals and nature;
it is very important that
we take care of them
and protect them.
If we can live together we
will have a good future
because we respect
each other.
Welcome back to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
The Nature Reserve
operated by Shangri-La’s
Rasa Ria Resort
in collaboration with
the Sabah State Wildlife
Department is
located in Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah, Malaysia.
The Reserve was
established to conserve
the native species of
the region, particularly
the orangutans,
by rehabilitating them
and then releasing them
back into larger
natural habitats.
Dr. Ir. Aldrianto Priadjat
is Executive Director
of the Borneo Orangutan
Survival Foundation,
a non-profit organization
partnering with the
Indonesian government,
communities, and
like-minded individuals
and entities
around the world to
save this noble species.
He comments on
the endangered status
of these apes.
There are four types of
Great Apes in the world.
We have the gorilla,
chimpanzee, bonobo,
and orangutan.
By chance,
three species of Great Apes
are in Africa.
The only Great Ape
that exists in Asia,
is the orangutan.
Previously orangutans
existed in Vietnam
(Au Lac) and Thailand,
and the Malay Peninsula,
but unfortunately
they have gone extinct,
and now they
only exist in Sumatra
and Borneo Islands.
What is special about them?
Of course, number one,
they are almost extinct.
Number two,
the role of orangutans
in balancing nature,
is very important,
because orangutans
eat and spread seeds.
Orangutans serve as proof
whether the forest
is healthy or not.
So we can categorize
whether the forest
is healthy enough.
It is like
an umbrella species.
The existence
of orangutans protects
some other animals.
When there is
one orangutan, it means
there are other
wild animals over there
and some forest trees.
Tony Muni,
the conservation manager
at the Nature Reserve
now explains how
rangers help orangutans
to feel at home
at the sanctuary.
Rangers play a role of
a mother or father
to the orangutan where
they provide much love,
and spend much time
with the orangutan
because the orangutan,
especially the young ones,
they need love
and friends.
So the rangers will come
every morning and
try to play with them or
encourage the orangutan
to climb trees and
to search for food, just
like being their friends.
Fruits typically makes up
almost 90 percent
of an orangutan’s diet.
Fruits like banana,
mango, sometimes durian,
etc.
Banana is one
of the favorite foods
for the orangutan.
Through years of
experience working with
these intelligent primates,
Mr. Muni has discovered
they possess
many human-like
characteristics.
Orangutans’ behaviors
and character are
very similar to humans.
They have feelings.
They are like babies
or young children.
They cry
when they are hungry,
they have a way to show
that they are hungry.
If they are in pain,
they show the pain
and sometimes act
naughty like a child
who is in the early stages
of growing up.
Sometimes
they like to play.
They can become ill
like us such as getting
a stomach ache, fever,
or diarrhea.
The orangutan
rehabilitation center
has a clinic.
So we have prepared
medicine such as
for diarrhea or for fever.
In our nature reserve,
we have a veterinarian
or animal doctor.
So if the orangutan
becomes ill, we refer
them to the animal doctor.
In closing, Mr. Tony
encourages everyone to
take part in caring for
our animal co-inhabitants
as well as conserving
the precious trees.
It is very important for
each individual to
protect the wildlife
and also to continue
what our government
has implemented
with things such as
rehabilitation efforts
which involves not only
protecting wild animals
but forest as well.
Forests are also
very important because
if there are no forests,
there are no wildlife.
Therefore
they are interrelated.
So together let us play
a role in protecting
wildlife and nature.
We as humans
who live on Earth,
have the responsibility
to join together to
take care of our wildlife.
Together we should
stop activities that can
cause the extinction
of our wildlife.
Wildlife such as
the orangutans,
elephants, and bears
are animals that need
shelter or the forests.
They need forests.
Therefore by protecting
their shelter
these animals will
be able to breed and
our generations to come,
like our grandchildren,
will be able to see
these animals.
We would like to thank
Mr. Sail Jamarudin
and Mr. Tony Muni
as well as all the other
staff and volunteers
at the Nature Reserve for
helping to safeguard the
endangered orangutans
and for creating
a paradise where humans
and animals can co-exist
in joy and harmony.
Due to their steadfast
efforts and care,
the Nature Reserve
is a true Shangri-la
for all beings.
For more information
on the Nature Reserve,
please visit
Eco-sensitive viewers,
thank you for joining us
on Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Coming up next is
Enlightening
Entertainment
after Noteworthy News.
May our world
only know peace.
Fowl Play,
an eye-opening film by
animal advocacy group
Mercy for Animals,
exposes the horrors
faced by hens in egg
production facilities.
If you look at
the red jungle fowl,
the wild ancestor of
today’s domesticated
chicken, they laid about
25 eggs per year.
Of course, the industry
wasn’t satisfied with that.
Today’s birds now
lay an average of
260 eggs per year.
The amount of calcium
required to produce that
many eggs is tremendous.
And as a result,
they’re suffering
from osteoporosis,
broken bones, etc.
Please watch Part 2 of
“Fowl Play –
An Award-Winning
Documentary
by Mercy for Animals,”
this Tuesday, January 5,
on Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.