Orang utan ‘hero’ honoured

Nature’s assistants: Dr Gumal (third from left) resting with members of a survey team at an orang utan project site at the Batang Ai National Park in Sarawak.

PETALING JAYA: A conservationist known for his efforts to help save the orang utan has won the Whitley Award, the first Malaysian to do so.

Dr Melvin Gumal was honoured with the Whitley Award for Con­servation in Ape Habitats at a special ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society in Britain on Thursday night.