Guidelines for visitors to Bukit Lawang

The rainforest of GLNP is home to the last remaining wild Sumatran orangutans. To help safeguard their future we feel that it's really important for our visitors to understand the impact their presence can have on wildlife and what they can do to minimise that impact.
The guidelines may seem strong but we believe in responsible tourism and giving our guests the best information.

The Problem

• Wild orangutans spend most of their time high in the forest canopy.
• They seldom travel on the ground and rarely come into contact with humans.
• BUT the semi-wild rehabilitated orangutans of Bukit Lawang often walk on the ground and come into close contact with humans.
• This behaviour is abnormal.
Their behaviour and the behaviour of human visitors is making them sick.

Why

Orangutans are genetically very close to humans (97%) and can catch many of our diseases:
• Measles, TB, pneumonia and influenza are spread when you cough, sneeze or spit.
• Shigella, Hepatitis A, Herpes, scabies, polio and worms are carried in human faeces.
• The measles virus can be carried great distances in open air.
• The polio virus can survive for many months in soil.
What may be a simple cold or cough for us could be very dangerous for orangutans and there is a chance that humans could be affected by diseases that orangutans may carry.

The Effects

Even though the orangutans may seem OK around human visitors their natural behaviours are disturbed and this can cause great stress and result in the following;
• Heart failure
• Problems having healthy babies
• Low immune system making it easy to catch disease and virus including those from humans.
• Death

Action

Everyone entering the forest should observe the following guidelines in order to:
• Have a safe and natural experience.
• Minimise disturbance to the forest and ALL wildlife.
• Help stop orangutans getting sick.

The Guidelines

Tell your guide you have read the guidelines and wish to follow them.

1: The recommended maximum number of people per trekking group is 7:
this controls the risk of human impacts and optimises your viewing experience

2: At the feeding platform you are allowed to stay for a maximum of ½ hour. If you meet orangutans when trekking stay with them for no longer than 10 minutes.

3: Visitors who are sick should not go trekking or to the feeding platform (eg. cough, diarrhoea). Please report any sickness to your guide or a ranger and your visit can be rescheduled. Rangers & guides can refuse a visit to anyone showing obvious signs of illness.

4: Healthy visitors should not be closer than 10 meters from orangutans.

5: When you are close to orangutans you should behave properly:
Do not call the orangutans.
Do not feed the orangutans or give them drinks.
Do not smoke, eat, drink, cough, sneeze or spit.
Always stay in a close group and never loose contact with your guide.
When possible you should sit when watching the orangutans.
Show respect for the orangutans by being as silent as possible and using good body language (no shouting, no sudden movements, no making monkey sounds etc).
Do not clear vegetation to get a better view.
Do not stare at the orangutans or use binoculars/cameras/videos if they are disturbed (kiss-squeak vocalisations, dropping branches).
Do not use flash photography. It will not be effective anyway.
Do not approach orangutans or try to touch them and NEVER come between a mother and her baby.

If an orangutan comes close and you can not move away calmly do not touch them. If they take your bag DO NOT try to fight them for it. Your guide may be able to get it back later. You should only bring essentials to the forest. Your health and your safety is more important than your bag

IT IS STRONGLY FORBIDDEN TO HARM ORANGUTANS OR ANY OTHER WILDLIFE

6: When you are in the rainforest behave properly at all times:
It is forbidden to enter the rainforest without a guide.
Please do not pressure your guide to get closer to animals or give them food so you can take photographs
If you feel your guide has behaved inappropriately please inform the guide office.
Do not leave any litter in the forest e.g. tissues, water bottles, cigarette ends, food scraps. It must be carried outside of the forest then disposed of. This includes fruit skins (such as banana, orange, rambutan) which may carry your germs.
If you must defecate you should dig a hole at least 2 feet deep. You can borrow a parang/machete from your guide. All faecal material and tissue must be buried.
Do not disturb or collect anything from the forest such as flowers, insects, seeds etc

Thank you for your co-operation.
Please email us if you have any questions.

Enjoy your stay in Bukit Lawang and your visit to the rainforest.

These guidelines were written by Andrea Molyneaux with reference to published scientific literature.