Wildlife
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There are lots of fascinating things to learn about the orangutan; a primate originated from Indonesia. With their so-many human-like behavior, it’s always interesting – and educating when we talk about Sumatran orangutan; from their dietary life, habits, even their habitat. Speaking of orangutan in Sumatra, there’s no other place they inhabit other than inside the Gunung Leuser National Park forest. Exploring Sumatra orangutan rainforest will take you deep into the jungle and see what’s beyond the lush habitat of the great apes.

For years, Gunung Leuser National Park has slipped out of tourists’ destination until recently, when the Sumatra orangutan rainforest starts the campaign to save the animals’ existence. Exploring their habitat allows you to get closer to the animal, not to mention learning about other species that share the same jungle and those who depend on the sustainable environment.

Geographical Facts about Sumatra Orangutan Rainforest

Gunung Leuser National Park is located around 90 km northwest of Medan. UNESCO lists the national park as the main conservatory place for orangutans as well as other Sumatran species, which can safely be described as paramount ecosystem keeper and makes the life cycle sustainable. The area covers more than 7,900 km2 of the forest and has become one of the infamous spots in the world where you can see the primates in wildlife.

It’s better to avoid the rainy season when you want to have jungle adventure, which is from October to March – you can expect rain at least once daily, and the intensity is higher than other months. In general, Mount Leuser National Park is always humid, consists of a mountainous landscape, and has more than 1,500 m of elevation.

With such a large area, the Sumatra orangutan rainforest offers breathtaking wilderness and provides a home for other 7 Sumatran mammals as well as vibrant flora. A shortest of half-day trekking or a full-day gives you the chance to capture natural interaction between the animals or enjoy the sight of greenery accompanied by flowing river sound and bird chirps.

What’s Inside the Gunung Leuser National Park

Apart from the vast jungle, Mount Leuser National Park provides its occupants with an incredible source of foods. That is, endangered animals are now co-existing in the forest in different areas. The captivated orangutans, for example, are rehabilitated in Bukit Lawang, being fed and taught about their natural lifestyle before slowly released back to
the wildlife. Along the trekking routes, you will be able to see Alas river and lakes providing water for the inhabitants.

Thomas Leaf Monkey, endemic to North Sumatra

Sumatra orangutan rainforest also holds its status as one of the largest tropical rainforest heritage sites in danger that has immense biodiversity of more than 750 different animal species. The mountainous landscape and difference of altitude result in a variety of flora species, more than 10,000 to be precise – that is, more than 40% of all recorded plant species that live in Indonesia-Malaysia can be found in Mount Leuser National Park.

In addition to the diverse flora, the rainforest is also home to Sumatran tiger, elephant, rhinos, siamang, sambar deer, leopard cat, and Sumatran serow – that is, more than 200 mammals are to be found in the area. Not only that, Mount Leuser National Park provides shelter to more than 190 reptiles and amphibians, as well as hundreds of bird species.

What to Do in Gunung Leuser National Park

To witness such magnificent nature, first, you can visit the Sumatra orangutan rainforest via Medan route. The national park is located on the border of Aceh and North Sumatra so that Medan will make the easiest gate. Then continue to Bukit Lawang that is located around 86 km away ( about 3 hours drive ) from Medan. Once you get there, trekking through the rainforest and see the orangutan and others wildlife. If you want to experience to see the sumatran orangutan at their natural habitat, it’s best to visit Bukit Lawang. There are also lodgings and resorts near the Bohorok river to choose for a comfortable night well-spent and enjoy the rainforest atmosphere.

Unveil the Gunung Leuser Wildlife

You can simply take a look our Gunung Leuser Trekking Package to unveil the magical experience throughout our Sumatra wildlife tour programs with first-hand prices.

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