IN SEPTEMBER I AM RUNNING THE ELGIN HALF MARATHON TO RAISE MONEY TO VOLUNTEER AND WORK WITH ORANGUTANS IN MALAYSIA,THEIR NUMBERS ARE QUICKLY DYING OUT ALONG WITH THEIR NATURAL HABITAT,WHICH IS ALSO INHABITED BY A LOCAL IBAN TRIBE WHO I'LL BE SPENDING THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF MY STAY WITH,WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM ON DAILY TREKS TO HELP PROTECT THE ORANGUTANS THAT WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE SAVED FROM BLACKMARKET SELLING AS HOUSEHOLD PETS OR WORSE MURDERED FOR THEIR YOUNG OFFSPRING.
ORANGUTANS ONLY REACH SEXUAL MATURITY IN THEIR TEENS,PRODUCING OFFSPRING ONLY ONCE EVERY 8 YEARS,WHICH MEANS THEIR CHANCE TO REPRODUCE THE GREAT NUMBERS THAT DIE OR ARE SOLD EACH YEAR ARE GREATLY REDUCED.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE AN ORANGUTAN IN THE WILD AND NOT BEHIND A CAGE AND HOPEFULLY I CAN HELP THIS BECOME A REALITY.
MY PROJECT STARTS IN KUALA LUMPUR WHERE I WILL SPEND 16 DAYS LEARNING THE BEHAVIOUR AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ORANGUTANS,LIFE ENRICHMENT PROJECTS WHICH GIVE THEM A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ZOO,THEN ITS A FLIGHT TO KUCHING,SARAWAK WHERE I WILL BE BASED FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP.
FOR A FEW GLORIOUS DAYS I WILL BE WORKING IN ONE OF ONLY 4 ORANGUTAN SANCTUARIES IN THE WORLD THE SEMMENGGOH SANCTUARY WHERE THE FIRST CATARRACT OPERATION ON AN ORANGUTAN WAS CARRIED OUT,THE 19 YEAR OLD MALE HAD MADE THE UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE OF CHEWING ELECTRIC CABLES BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR HIS BLINDNESS.
THESE LUCKY TANS WILL MAKE IT BACK INTO THE WILD EVENTUALLY SO CONTACT WITH THEM WILL BE LIMITED.
THEN IT IS OFF ON A BOAT RIDE TO THE REMOTE AREA OF BATANG AI WHERE I WILL STAY WITH AN IBAN TRIBE (ORIGINALLY HEADHUNTERS!)FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY STAY,WHERE I WILL HAVE 4 JUNGLE TREKS LED BY THESE TRIBESMEN TO TRACK THE LUCKY TANS WHICH MADE IT BACK TO THE WILD,WHAT AN AMAZING PRIVILEDGE THAT WILL BE,BUT WHERE THERES AN UP THERES ALWAYS A DOWN,THE DOWNSIDE IS THE CREATURES I WILL BE SHARING MY LIVING QUATERS WITH.....SPIDERS,COCKROACHES,JUNGLE RATS AND THE ODD THIEVING MONKEY LOOKING FOR AN EASY SNACK,IM HOPING SAID MONKEY WILL EAT THE ABOVE AND I WILL BE ABLE TO CLOSE MY EYES AT NIGHT!! NORMALLY ALL CREEPY CRAWLIES SUFFER A TERRIBLE TORTURING FROM MY 2 CATS BAXTER AND MIMI,(SEE ALBUM)BUT NOW IM ON MY OWN!
THE TRIBE WILL ALSO RECEIVE HELP FROM THIS DONATION THROUGH SUPPLYING BASIC NEEDS LIKE PENS PENCILS,BEADS,CLOTH,AND FISHING LINE AND GIFTS FOR THE CHILDREN THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BRING SOME JOY.MY PROJECT STARTS ON 4TH JAN 09 SO HOPEFULLY I WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL GIFT TO BRING THESE PEOPLE THROUGH THE HELP OF YOUR DONATION WHETHER BE A POUND OR MORE I APPRECIATE EVERY PENNY.EVERYONE GETS A WEE THANKYOU AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TOO.
ALL TRIP COSTS IE FLIGHTS AND THE TRIP ITSELF ARE ALL FUNDED BY MYSELF,YOUR DONATION IS TO THE SANCTURY AND TOWARDS GIFTS TO THE IBAN TRIBE. THANKYOU FOR READING MY STORY,PLEASE REMEMBER TO SIGN THE GUESTBOOK WHETHER A FRIEND OR A STRANGER I APPRECIATE FEEDBACK ON THE SITE!! GILLIAN


SO FAR IVE RAISED OVER 600 POUNDS! SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SOME PEOPLE...
MUM N DAD
MRS MAIN
GILLIAN AND ANDY HENLEY
SVEN HARRIS
BLISS HAIRDRESSING ELGIN SCOTLAND..JAMES,NIKKI,ANGELA,MICHELLE,SHEREE,ANNE,LAURA,ERIN,LEANNE,ETC ETC
FLANNAGANS IRISH BAR ELGIN SCOTLAND..BARNEY AND CALLUM
CHEWY AND ELAINE
KAREN MARK BOOTH
MRS MILLER
KAREN AND ANDY
LORRAINE AND IONA
PHILIP
MORNA AND DAVE
BUGSY AND DEBS
MARY AND BRIAN
STEVE AND AILEEN
JAYNE N DAVE
TOM ADAMSON
GIZ

AND ANYONE ELSE I HAVENT UPDATED YET!!!