21th November, Kuala Lumpur - In the lead up to A1GP Sepang, Malaysia, a selection of A1GP drivers and team members travelled to the island of Borneo in the eastern part of Malaysia on Monday to visit the Nature Reserve and Orang Utan sanctuary at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria resort near Kota Kinabalu.


On Tuesday morning, Malaysia’s Alex Yoong and Aaron Lim, Lebanon’s Khalil Beschir and Chris Alajajian, Indonesia’s Satrio Hermanto, Brazil’s Sergio Jimenez and Great Britain team principal Katie Clements, took time out of their busy schedules to visit the Nature Reserve, Orang Utan sanctuary and education centre to learn more about the Orang Utan rehabilitation and nature conservation programme.


The aim of the rehabilitation centre is to guide the young Orang-Utans through their development and ultimately return them to the forest. After meeting the rangers and learning about the work of the sanctuary, the drivers were taken on a guided walk into the jungle to watch the Orang-Utans play and feed in their natural habitat. When they returned to the sanctuary, all five teams and A1GP pledged their support to the sanctuary by each adopting an Orang Utan, which will help provide funding for the care and feeding of the endangered animals.


The group also took part in the Reserve’s Plant a Tree programme, which underscores efforts to reforestate areas within the resort's 400-acreage that were affected by tropical storm Greg in December of 1996. This programme is a joint effort between Rasa Ria Resort and the World Wildlife Fund Sabah, whose role is to provide participants in the programme with tree saplings for planting.


Malaysian Airlines, the country’s national airline, supported the event by being the carrier of the A1GP teams from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.


Orang-Utans (from the Malay phrase Orang Hutan, 'man of the forest') are totally protected in Malaysia. They live on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra with a total estimated population of just 27,000. The greatest threat to Orang-Utans is habitat loss due to mechanised logging and agriculture is the most obvious threat presently facing Orang Utan populations. Young Orang-Utans are also threatened by poachers who capture them to be sold as pets. The mother is often shot in order to gain access to the baby Orang Utan.


"It’s good to be out here in the jungle and it’s very important to be supporting the incredible work that they do at the Nature Reserve and sanctuary. We have some beautiful jungles in Malaysia and actually the oldest jungle in the world is here. Borneo is one of the only places Orang-Utans still exist so it’s very special to be here and to be able to get this close to the animals." said Alex Yoong


Aaron Lim said "It’s my first time here in the jungle with the Orang-Utans so it’s quite an experience for me and it’s also been good fun. It’s important to rehabilitate these endangered animals and preserve this jungle. We’ve all adopted an Orang Utan and planted a tree here so we are all doing out little bit to help."


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