APE Malaysia: Volunteering in the wild

APE Malaysia volunteers 'ape' out on the hammock they made for the orang utan.

Instead of treating themselves to a cushy vacation, some choose the challenging but rewarding task of volunteer work.

When Mandy Lee Yu-Ming told people around her that she was going to sign up for a volunteer project, she got mixed responses of admiration and apprehension.

“Most thought it sounded really cool but they didn’t think they could do it because they didn’t want to get their hands dirty. They thought I was really brave to do it,” says Lee, a Taiwanese English teacher who signed up for a volunteer programme organised by APE Malaysia in September.

“The funny thing is, I didn’t feel that brave. This is the first time I’ve ever volunteered and even after studying the programme, it was difficult to picture the reality and I wasn’t sure what I was getting into,” she says.

Lee, 30, was looking for a volunteer programme that involved conservation and working with animals, and when she came across APE Malaysia online, she felt it was the perfect fit.

A tiger is challenged to get to his favourite food that is encased in a ‘meat ball’ made by volunteers.

Together with a small group of volunteers, Lee spent two weeks in a Malaysian zoo and another two weeks in Sabah at the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.

The programme, called Orangutan Encounters, gives volunteers a “unique chance to work behind the scenes in a Malaysian zoo, then fly to exotic Borneo, home to wild orang utans, misty rainforests and colourful indigenous communities.”

They were involved in husbandry work such as cleaning cages and feeding, and enrichment work through providing enrichment activities for the orang utans and chimpanzees at Zoo Negara and Malacca Zoo.

While in Sabah, they carried out tree planting and maintenance, engaged with the village children through play and teaching English, and did community work for the benefit of the villagers who work as fishermen.

“While in Kuala Lumpur, we made a trip to the Malacca Zoo where I encountered the most challenging activity. Together with another volunteer, we had to lift a few massive tyres in the orang utan exhibit to hang a hammock for them,” Lee explains.

“We had to scoop out filthy and smelly water in the tyres, and push them up a steep hill. I am very petite compared to the other volunteers, so it wasn’t an easy task! But when we saw the orang utan using the hammock, it was so rewarding,” shares Lee.

Richard Craddock (right) using his carpentry skills to construct a puzzle as an enrichment tool for
orang utans and chimpanzees to figure out how to retrieve food items.

There were times when Lee had doubts about accomplishing the tasks but she kept thinking of the zookeepers and the facilitators who were doing the same work on a regular basis.

“I really cannot complain as I’m only here for a short while, and this is an amazing opportunity to help improve the animals’ living environment. Before this experience, I didn’t know what I was capable of, but now I know my level of endurance,” she says.

Not only did Lee learn about herself through volunteering, she also had a better understanding of animal behaviours and oil palm farming.

“I learnt that orang utans in captivity tend to vomit after they are fed, but those in the wild don’t seem to experience this problem. They also make a nest before they sleep. There was one orang utan that would finish her coconut juice and peel off the coconut husk to make a nest,” she says.

She also learnt of a website listing all the companies that adapted to sustainable palm oil production and says “it is better to purchase the products of these companies since they also contribute some of their profits to assist with rainforest rehabilitation.”

Mandy Lee helping local fishermen to make sustainable bubu (shrimp pots).

Volunteers who sign up know that it’s not a walk in the park, so apart from unsuspectingly donating her blood to a tiger leech during a jungle exploration in Sabah’s rainforest, Lee also injured her finger during a volunteering activity.

“I hurt my middle finger and covered it with a plaster. I didn’t think about it until Punky, an orang utan friend I made, kept staring and pointing to my wounded finger and made the action of kissing her finger while pointing to mine,” Lee recalls.

“It mirrored the same behaviour as what a caring person would do and it was the most touching moment for me. I wanted to cry,” she says.

Lee is happy that her first trip to Malaysia was through volunteering instead of just for a holiday, otherwise her interaction with Malaysians would be limited to those at shops and restaurants.

She says, “I would never have experienced mingling with Malaysians in a volunteering environment, made a few lovely local friends and seen how genuine Malaysians are.

“If I came as a tourist, I would be having my meals at restaurants but because I was living in a village in Sabah, I was lucky to be treated to home-cooked meals by the villagers. Food was tastier when I experienced eating with my hands!” she explains.

One of the massive tyres that Lee had to lift – with another volunteer – to hang a hammock for the orang utans in Malacca Zoo.

On her most fulfilling experience, Lee says, “Our group planted 80 saplings and did maintenance work on about 300 trees in the Kinabatangan plantation sites. We hope that they all grow well so that they can produce more fruits to feed the wildlife and provide more habitats for the birds and insects in the rainforest.

“This is my first visit to Malaysia and I am amazed by the sense of harmony the different ethnic groups share. People are so friendly, helpful and humble. Also, the food is extremely delicious and authentic,” she says.

“To those who have not experienced travel through volunteering, it would be great to experience it for yourself and see the beauty of the big picture of conservation work. Being a part of it is incredibly rewarding!” Lee says.

Adventure

Brits Richard James Craddock and his partner, Dr Rachael Louise Nowak, spent a month in Malaysia when they decided to take time out and see more of the world.

Craddock, 48, is a trained carpenter and self-employed site manager for the museum and conference industry and Nowak, 41, is a biologist who has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for over a decade.

They gave up their jobs to go travelling for 18 months as part of their round the world adventure.

While in Malaysia, they were not sipping pina coladas on the beach, but getting all sweaty through physical work as volunteers in a four-week programme.

Craddock and his partner, Dr Rachael Nowak, fell in love with Malaysia after signing up as volunteers with APE Malaysia.

“We heard about the APE Malaysia volunteer programme through a UK company called The Great Projects. Our interest was focused on orang utan conservation and the programme appealed to us because we would be able to help captive orang utans, see them in the wild and get involved in rebuilding habitats,” they explain.

“Harith of APE Malaysia was our guide, mentor, cultural ambassador, football critic and animal expert at Zoo Negara. He had the hardest job in terms of teaching us how to interact with the orang utans and looking after their welfare as well as ours!” says Nowak.

“What makes APE Malaysia organisers so special is their passion and commitment to improving orang utan welfare and making the experience as rewarding as possible for volunteers. It really opened our eyes and made us feel we were making a difference,” she adds.

They both say APE Malaysia’s briefing was so thorough that they knew what to expect but what they didn’t expect, according to Nowak, was “how easily it was for us to fall in love with the captive orang utans.”

“I remember seeing Richard feeding a Borneon orang utan at the very beginning and even though Richard was wearing a mask, I could see he had the biggest smile on his face and I knew from the start that we were doing the right thing,” says Nowak.

It was news to her that orang utans do not have facial expressions but she also learnt quickly that “enrichment is absolutely critical for these crafty and very endearing captive orang utans”

Craddock had expected the orang utans to have different personalities but he was quite surprised that they were so individualistic.

Utilising his carpentry skills in an enrichment project, Craddock and fellow volunteers made a puzzle for the orang utans and chimpanzees. They were challenged to push fruit – with a stick – through a maze in the puzzle, and then retrieve the fruit at the bottom.

“They are a lot more intelligent than people are led to believe and they quickly solved the enrichment puzzles,” he observes.

The volunteers also helped the zoo workers construct a new hammock for the orang utans to use in their enclosure and they were warned that it was unlikely the orang utans would use it immediately as it was something new.

“After letting the dominant female orang utan out, she went straight up to the hammock and climbed onto it. Although these animals have no facial expression, we could see in her eyes that she was so pleased. It brought a lump to our throats!” Craddock recalls.

At Zoo Negara, Craddock found out how rewarding it can be to clean orang utan enclosures which were very dirty and smelly.

“I think the zoo workers are really fortunate to be able to care for the animals; it must be so satisfying. Working in a zoo is a well-respected job and these jobs are very hard to come by in the United Kingdom,” he adds.

This is their first trip to Malaysia and Nowak points out that they were surprised by the heat and humidity, and how hot and sweaty they would get.

“While at Zoo Negara, we lived in very basic accommodation which we found enjoyable, especially when we tried to guess what animal was running on the roof!” says Nowak.

However, upon arrival in Sabah, they “were disappointed by the room which was quite posh. We became used to cold showers which were so refreshing after a hard day’s work.”

“We were amazed by the diversity of the Kinabatangan river area, and we were very fortunate to see many different animals and birds during our river trips to the work sites,” Nowak points out.

Craddock adds that this programme showed them the importance of tree planting and maintenance of the forest, which creates and sustains corridors and habitats for wildlife to live and pass through.

“We have not holidayed here before but through the volunteer programme, we fell in love with Malaysia and that will last a life-time. It is truly inspiring to see a country where different races can live well together,” Nowak says.

Nowak pointed out that they got to enjoy fantastic Malay, Indian and Chinese food. “Because it was so cheap, it’s almost a crime not to eat out. We ate very well, from the Zoo Negara canteen lunches to the wonderful home-stay food in Sabah.”

Through their experience, both Craddock and Nowak say “the time we spent here was life-changing. The buzz you get from this type of volunteering is addictive, just doing things for others is so rewarding and it gives you a very different perspective on life.”

“This volunteer programme was not a vacation and it was about working as hard as possible to make a difference for others and the environment. Our views of vacations have changed now and we are much more eager to look at volunteering and supporting locals through home-stays when we plan our future travels,” says Craddock, the only man in this group of mainly female volunteers.

“It might seem crazy to use your holiday to do volunteering work. Anyone can lie on a beach but everyone should try volunteering as it will be one of the best experiences you will have,” he says.

-thestar online.

www.apemalaysia.com