Orangutan in Tanjung Puting National Park

Orangutan or Orang hutan means people of the forest (Pongo pygmeus) can be found throughout Southeast Asia ranging all the way into Southern China. In hundreds of years ago the population probably numbered in million. Right now this species is in critical population and only is found in the islands of Kalimantan (Borneo) and Sumatera. They are in grave danger of extinction since the habitat of Tropical Rain Forest is being destroyed by agriculture and forest exploration of mechanized logging. 

Tropical Rain Forest destruction throughout the world with subsequent global climatic and ecological changes is one of the most pressing conservation now. Gold and diamond mining concession in large scale pose new threats Tropical Rain Forest of Kalimantan while local population get severe pressure in Sumatera. In the past countless Orangutans died when their babies were captured for zoos and pet trade while some people in Kalimantan also Sumatera still occasionally kill Orangutan for food. Right now there are probably more than twenty thousand Orangutan survive in the world. As a species of Orangutan right now are edges of extinction.

In Kalimantan, Orangutan can be found in Tanjung Putting National Park in the south coast of Kalimantan or Borneo islands covering an area of approximately 414,040 hectares, stretched along the swamp land and is part of Kumai sub-district in West Kotawaringin Regency with its capital town Pangkalan bun, Central Kalimantan province. 

Reach Pangkalan Bun are done from other islands to Syamsuddinnor Airport in Banjarbaru (South Kalimantan) which is served by daily flight of air plane. From Banjarbaru, go by travel agency or Bus to Pangkalan Bun (Central Kalimantan). The project of Orangutan Research and Conservation itself are centralized in the ground station named Tanjung Harapan Pomndok Tanggui and Camp Leakey in Tanjung Putting. It is easily to reach these camp cruising by traditional wooden comfortable boat called klotok, where this klotok is also possible to be your accommodation and having meals during the trip. 

Cruising for these camps started from Kumai harbor by pass along the Sekonyer River which is crossing the wild forest. If lucky is with you, on the way you often see the salt water dolphins in Kumai Bay, kind of birds (there are more than two hundred species of birds are protected in project territory), numerous of reptiles (lizard, snake, crocodile), proboscis monkey (long nose monkey) and occasionally sighting of wild Orangutans or even wild pigs and other animals emerge out from the forest. 

Beside the endangered animal, Tanjung Putting National Park has also consist of types of vegetation include low-land tropical forest, dry land forest, freshwater swamp forest, mangrove forest, coastal forest and secondary forest. Among tree species commonly found are Ramming (Gonistylus bancanus), Jelutung (Dyre lawii), Iron wood (Eudroxylon swageri), Meranti (Shorea sp) and Keriung (Dipterocarpus sp).

Good luck, may useful and lets trip