Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary is located about 25 kilometers north of Sandakan, in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo in the state of Sabah. The sanctuary was being administered by Wildlife Department of Sabah, Malaysia. It was started in 1964 for rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned baby orang utans from logging sites, plantations, and illegal hunting. The orang utans are trained to survive again in the wild and are released as soon as they are ready. The sanctuary now covers 43 square kilometers, much of which is virgin jungle.

The objectives of the project have expanded in recent years. While Orangutan rehabilitation is stilt the primary goal at Sepilok, present aims include public education on conservation, research and assistance to other endangered species such as captive breeding of the rare and endangered rhinoceros.

 

The centre has a reception centre, information centre, offices for wildlife staff, an animal clinic, quarantine area and enclosures for various animals such as the rhinoceros.

Sepilok, renowned for its Orang-Utan rehabilitation project, has stimulated a greater local and international awareness of the protection laws for endangered species, and the Centre has resulted in an increase in detection and confiscation of illegally held captive animals.

 

Turtle Islands Sanctuary Park  is located some 40 kilometers north of Sandakan in Sabah, east Malaysia. It consists of 3 islands - Selingan, Bakkungan Kecil and Gulisan, including the surrounding coral reefs and ocean. The Park is famous for its green turtles and hawksbill turtles which lay their eggs on the beaches of the islands throughout the year. The Park covers an area of 17.4 km².

On 1 August 1966, the first turtle hatchery in Malaysia was established on the Selingan island . The Turtle Islands Marine Park has permanent park staff monitoring  the turtles, protect the hatcheries and tag the turtles for research purposes administered by Sabah Parks.

 

Selingan Island .Tourist facility - chalets for overnight visitors are only available on the Selingan island as for those who wish to see the turtles laying eggs must stay overnight. The three islands has turtles coming ashore nightly, not only during certain seasons and therefore is virtually guaranteed to see those ancient mariners. During the peak season in October  up to 50 turtles come ashore to lay eggs in one night.

However, park rules and regulations are strictly enforced and visitors are not allowed on the beach from sunset to sunrise as not to disturb the turtles. A ranger will call all visitors to observe only one turtle laying eggs per night. The eggs are collected and the visitors liberate the beach immediately as not to shy away other turtles which are very susceptible to movement on the beach. After the laying and collection of eggs, and eventual tagging of the turtle if it is a ‘first time visitor’ tourists are allowed into the hatchery to observe the further work of the rangers: the transplantation of the freshly laid eggs into a man-made incubation chamber. The chamber is no different from that of the turtle: between 60-75 cm deep, in the sand, but within a protected hatchery to make it impossible for natural predators to dig the nests open. Since temperature determines the sex of the turtles part of the hatchery is shaded, while the rest remains under the open sun.

After the transplantation of the eggs visitors will get turtle hatchlings – baby turtles – to release into the sea, which is also done by night to further increase their chances of survival.

The turtle conservation programme in Sabah is the oldest in the world and with the most detailed statistics and research. Marine turtles have been around for 230 million years at least, but due to human activities they have been brought, over the past hundred years, to the brink of extinction. The work of Sabah Parks is definitely contributing to their survival.