The Story from Platform B

Labuk, April 1st 2011

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary has two platforms. Three, actually. After visiting Platform A, Jhon, our guide, kindly took us to Platform B. Unlike at Platform A, the proboscis (or bekantan, or Monyet Bayau, or Monyet Belanda) here are said to be not as tame. Guests can't get too close to them either. But in number, they were plenty. Besides, in Platform B we didn't only meet proboscis.

 This is our transportation to the platforms. It's not a tourist bus, but we did not mind even a bit. We did not have to worry of being late for the feeding time. We did not have to worry of missing a chance. The food for the proboscis was with us on this truck. The man who would call the proboscis to come out was with us too on this truck. It was Jhon. Therefore, all the other tourists coming by air con buses, by taxi, had to wait for me to come. Yay! Isn't that great?

And, when the other tourists' guide decided to leave, we did not have to rush, because we could be there for as long as Jhon is there. And, Jhon will be there until 'everyone' returns to their sanctuary in the forest.

Plus, this transportation was free for us.

 First, Jhon let us watch a documentary movie about the proboscis monkeys. Unlike the documentary movie we watched at the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Center, this movie was rather long. The movie was interesting actually. I especially remember the part where an adult proboscis with a long nose tried to drink someone's coffee from a glass. He couldn't get his mouth to the brim of the glass, because his nose gut stuck inside the glass. Hahaha.. so funny.

And what does this Nescafe Ais has to do with? Well, the mini theater was air conditioned. So? So, after a long day from Sukau to Sepilok and then to Labuk, I got sleepy in this cozy room. When the movie ended, I found out that there was a bar and found this, Nescafe Ais. In my country, I'm a fan of Nescafe Ice, but we don't have ones in a can. Wow!! It cost 3 ringgits. I grabbed for it. It was good! It had a little soda taste. Ah, I wish this drink exists in Indonesia also.

This is a silveredleaf monkey, named "Kay". There were several silvered leaf monkeys playing around the balcony. Unlike macaques, leaf monkeys are sweet. At first I was worried they would snatch my Nescafe can, but they never even attempted to.

This is Kiki and Dina. Dina had just said, "How can I hold it?" when Kiki jumped on Dina's arm. Apparently she was for Dina's potato chips.

 This is the story of Kiki. One day, when she was still a baby, she fell down from her nest. So Jhon and his friends picked her up and took care of her. She isn't caged nor chained. She just simply spend her days being with the people who took care of her and loved her. She greets guests, fly to the refrigerator, and then to the chairs. She watches when guests do their transaction at the cashier, jump to table, and nod, as if saying, "Thank you."

Silvered Leaf Monkeys are awesome when the sunshine hits on them. They glow.

Sitting on the balcony watching guests coming and taking its pictures. How should I pose? Like this? Or like this?

 Kiki flew to the trees finding whether the proboscis were on their way already.

"Ah, apparently the proboscis haven't come yet. Let me take a bite or two of their snack," says Kiki to herself.

As mentioned in previous album, these are pancakes and cucumbers. I wonder what Kiki likes best.

Okay, Kiki had made her choice. What's that? Looks like a piece of pancake, doesn't it?

 There's also a story about this eagle. It was found injured when it was a kid. So once again, Jhon and his friends nursed it. The same as Kiki, it was never caged or chained. It became part of the big family on Platform B until one day when it was fully grown up, it took its way into the woods. Two, three days when by, and the people thought it would never come back. But it did!

Sometimes it pays a visit every evening, but sometimes it won't come until 2-3 days. Everytime it comes to visit, the people here are ready to treat it with a fish meal.

Actually the eagle is holding a fish between its claws. Ah... really couldn't make a good picture of the eagle flying. It was very difficult.

Do you see that stuff between its claws? It's his fish treat.

Eagle, what's in your mind? Watching your first home? The people who loves you? You'll never forget them the whole your life, won't you?

The eagle is eating the fish it got.

 Yay! They are coming!

Although proboscis use to just slide, jump, fly from one tree to another, when having a child in its arms, it has to be cautious.

Ah!

If you don't like this, just shutdown your computer. I want this picture here. Hahaha...

  There were many macaques here and the proboscis didn't dare to come to their dining table. Jhon got impatient. He threw the macaques with stones to shoo them away.

 The proboscis just wait in the trees. You see them?

 Another proboscis family has arrived.

You see the macaques on bottom right. Although they are much smaller than proboscis, they are fierce. Look at the proboscis! They all are looking at the same direction! Look! Are they looking at me? Pleading for help to shoo the macaques away?

Here's a closer look of how helpless the proboscis are. They only can wait for the macaques to satisfy themselves.

   The macaques even do nasty things on proboscis' dining table! How dare you!

Warning: PG13!! :))

Ready to go back to our resort, Nipah Resort.