Day 40 - Ketapang Borneo - Watermelons and Mandy's

We got up nice and early this morning and had breakfast and coffee before setting off to the centre. We all loaded into the minibus and set off for the 20 minute or so journey to the International Animal Rescue Centre. It is completely different to Matang, partly because the land is owned by the charity and not by Forestry. It's fairly new so looks a lot more organised and fit for purpose. 

We were guided round the centre past the vet clinic, quarantine, baby school and permanent enclosures. It's great to see what can be done when planning is applied. We eventually arrived at the 'Island' which is a piece of land with an artificial moat round it, to deter Orangs from crossing. Hopefully before the end of the month the first Orangs will be realised onto to this.

You need to keep your wits about you here there are around 30 baby Orangs at school each day in the forest and there are often escapes, so we always carry masks in our pockets to apply if we see one. One thing I hadn't counted on was being clocked round the head with a watermelon chunk by one of the big males, much to the amusement of the group. After our walk it was time for lunch back at the keepers house at the entrance to the centre. We managed to get a bit of wifi and some shade. 

Work was the order of the day fort he afternoon session so we all grouped together to move some wood down to the island, making human bridges to get it across the water. Although strenuous it's twice as hard in the blazing sun. The weather is totally different here. Hotter and drier with less rain.

All of us were sunburnt by the end despite being covered up which is non negotiable in this Muslim state, and having applied layers and layers of factor 50 sunscreen. Maybe it's a good thing we can't wear strappy tops and short shorts. It does bode the question of what kind of suntan mark I will have by the time I meet Georgie in KL.

When we got home we all had our first Mandy then headed out to dinner at a restaurant at the end of the road! we are pretty central in Ketapang so there is lots to do. A few people struggled with the spicy food but I found it delicious having a local speciality soup. We returned home and retired to bed, a little broken and burnt.