KUCHING, Malaysia - Nature lovers can sign up for a close encounter with the orang utan in a new conservation programme set up by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

Launched in collaboration with the Sarawak Convention Bureau, the Heart to Heart programme allows participants to have hands-on experience in conservation work at the Matang and Semenggoh Wildlife Centres here.

Sarawak Forestry managing director Datuk Len Talif Salleh said, besides showcasing the state's conservation efforts, the programme would promote better understanding of the orang utan rehabilitation work.

"Heart to Heart will give participants the chance to learn from experts about the challenges of rehabilitation," he said during the launch at the Matang Wildlife Centre yesterday.

His speech was read by Sarawak Forestry's protected areas and biodiversity conservation general manager Wilfred Landong.

Participants will be assigned tasks such as cleaning cages, preparing food for the orang utan and assisting in research works. They can also take part in the Orang Utan Enrichment Programme which includes teaching the animals how to forage for food and other survival skills.

The one-day programme comes in three packages with fees ranging from RM350 to RM450 per person.

Forty per cent of the fees will be channelled to the orang utan conservation fund for Semenggoh and Matang.

Len said an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 orang

utan lived in Sarawak's three protected habitats - the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Batang Ai National Park and Ulu Sebuyau National Park.

"Population monitoring since the 1990s shows that the numbers are stable," he added.