From the Logbook...A Unique Flight

Recently we were asked to pick up some passengers at an interior location run by the Kalaweit Foundation. Kalaweit is the local word for gibbon.

When we arrived, the founder offered to take me and Isaac around his property for a few minutes.  Sweet!  He had over 175 Gibbons at his location.  Due to the gibbons susceptibility to human disease, we were asked to wear masks to help prevent the transmission of airborne sicknesses.

 We learned a lot of neat facts about the gibbons and we loved watched them effortlessly swing around in their enclosures.  

It wasn't only gibbons at his location.  Reptiles were to be found as well.  The crocodile above can live in salt or fresh water and is the same species we transported for him recently.  Click here to read about that.  Next to this one was a HUGE crocadile, measuring over 20 feet long!  Supposedly he is the friendly one...I didn't stick around to shake his hand.

Above is a fresh water crocodile, indigenous to Borneo.  It's narrow snout was something very unusual to see.

Sun bears, also indigenous to Borneo, were also present at his facility.  Due to deforestation and illegal pet trading, he had many bears that he was trying to rehabilitate for future release into the wild.

The horn-bill is also unique to Borneo.  This one was rescued by him when it was a baby.  It is 100% healthy and still considered wild.  However, I was told that they are basically like chickens; i.e, stupid.  Because he had a reliable food source and familiar surroundings, flying away to another location is unlikely.

As we walked back to the airplane, the river suddenly appeared from the dense jungle.  What a treat from the "normal" type of flying to see all of these animals.

We walked back down to the airplane sweaty but feeling very fortunate to have seen such animals.  You never know what a day may bring in this "job."