Borneo Orangutan Survival
Visit the Borneo Orangutan Survival sanctuary. An experience of a lifetime, to get up close with these beautiful primates and find out how they are prepared to return to their natural habitat.
Borneo Orangutan Survival
the factsAt Samboja, you can visit the Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) sanctuary. An experience of a lifetime, to get up close with these beautiful primates. The BOS Foundation is currently taking care of around 750 orangutans in a conservation area of some 80 km2. The orangutans have been rescued from areas of conflict, where they lost their natural habitat. You can witness the orangutans in the conservation area at several orangutan islands at feeding times.
In the sanctuary, you can also learn how the orphaned orangutans are equipped with the skills they need to survive once they are old enough to be reintroduced in the forest. In fact, they go to orangutan school and learn the skills of building nests, selecting foods, and recognizing predators. Some of the orangutans will not return to the forest due to illness or injury. They stay in the sanctuary and get long term care.
When visiting the orangutan sanctuary you can select from several tour options including visits to sunbear sanctuary, bukit bangkirai and boating activities on the Black River. You can stay overnight at the sanctuary in the beautiful Samboja lodge.
BOS offers some programs to visitors to get close to the orangutan as well as to get fresh air in the forest. Among others are feeding time orangutan, adoption baby orangutan and forest school, being volunteer to help caring the environment and provide food for orangutan as well as tracking to the forest, bird watching and planting adoption trees to support forest restoration program. From this place, you will know that unlike other great apes in Africa, orangutan spends far more in the trees and does not live in group. Orangutans are renowned for their intelligence; some have been discovered using tools, and they have been observed using leaves to make rain hats and as waterproof covers for their nests.
BOS also manage sun bear sanctuary. Around 50 sun bears are currently under their care. The sun bear, which is native to the tropical rainforest in Borneo, is the smallest species of bears in the world. They are threatened and displaced from their natural habitat by human activity. You can observe these unique bears from special viewing platforms and learn about their life, habitat and behaviour.