Melissa heads for Borneo jungle to track orang-utans

Melissa Howarth will spend two months working with orang-utans in one of their few natural habitats.

She will spend half that time trekking through the jungles of Borneo tracking the movements of the large primates. The other weeks will see her in the rehabilitation centre at Sepilok.

She will be looking after orphaned youngsters with the aim of setting them free back into the wild.

Melissa (25) said: "The work being done in Borneo is very important. Orang-utans are extremely endangered. If we don't help them, they will be extinct within ten years.

"I have sponsored an orang-utan for the past ten years and always wanted to go out to see what I can do to help them in the wild.

"They are so close to humans. They share 96pc of our DNA and, when you read about them, you find they so are different from other primates."

South Way resident Melissa is also hoping to use her journey to the Far East next January to further her career ambitions after she finished her travel and tourism management degree at Brighton University last year.

She is currently temping in a range of office jobs to raise the 2,800 needed for her time in Borneo.

The cost of her flights will be extra.

She is also holding car boot sales and taking part in July's London 10k road race to bring in the necessary funding. Anyone who would like to back Melissa should use her [email protected] e-mail address.