But the plight of one of the world's most endangered animals has persuaded Elgin hairdresser Gillian Pirie to sign up for a four-week mercy mission helping orangutans in Malaysia.

The 29-year-old stylist at the town's Bliss hairdressing salon will be cutting her way through dense jungles in Borneo to track the great apes, as well as working at an orangutan sanctuary, helping conservation projects and teaching local children.

Discovering that increased demand for some of the beauty products she uses had contributed towards a decline in the orangutan's forest habitat, Gillian felt that something needed to be done.

A huge expansion in oil palm plantations has created major deforestation in south-east Asia and threatened the extinction of one of man's closest relatives.

"I was surprised to find just how many products use palm oil," she said. "And seeing the decline in forestation and the effects that is having on the orangutans made me want to make a difference, no matter how small."

The ape's future has also been jeopardised by black market traders who sell their young as household pets, often butchering the parents to get to the offspring.

Gillian's adventure will begin on January 4 next year, and she will fund the whole trip herself. But she plans to raise funds for the sanctuary where she will be working, as well as providing some basic supplies for the tribespeople with whom she will join forces on the second stage of her journey.

Realising that a marathon challenge lies ahead, she has begun training for the Moray half-marathon in September with the help of Elgin Academy PE teacher Dave Porter.

As well as helping her to raise funds for her project, the 13-mile run will prepare her for some of the physical demands she will encounter in Malaysia.

"Unfortunately I'll be going from a Scottish winter straight into 90% humidity over there. I'm also told it will be monsoon season, so it should be quite an experience," she said.

Her month will begin with 16 days in Kuala Lumpur, learning how to care for orangutans, how they behave and developing life enrichment activities for the primates.

Then she will fly on to Borneo and one of only four orangutan sanctuaries in the world, where she will help with the release of the few lucky ones who are earmarked to be returned to the wild.

The endangered orangutans of Borneo will benefit from the work of hairdresser Gillian Pirie when she embarks on a four-week voluntary project in Malaysia. NS

"I think we should all be lucky enough to see these creatures in their natural habitat, and hopefully I can make this become a reality."

After that comes a boat ride to the remote area of Batang Ai, where Gillian will meet her indigenous hosts from the Iban tribe.

Once feared in Borneo for their practice of collecting the heads of battle opponents, they now live a peaceful existence.

She will help the tribe to track the successfully released orangutans, and assist in teaching English to their children.

From her fund-raising activities, she hopes to bring the Ibans some essentials like pens, pencils, beads, cloth and fishing line.

"I'm actually looking forward to not being able to plug in my phone or hair straighteners, or worrying about putting on make-up!" said Gillian.

"I don't want to go and live like a Westerner or a tourist out there."

Overcoming her fear of spiders will be her biggest obstacle, as she expects the forests to be crawling with them.

"Normally all creepy-crawlies suffer torture by my two cats, Baxter and Mimi, but now I'm on my own!" she said.

Anyone wishing to donate to Gillian's work in Malaysia or sponsor her participation in the half-marathon can do so at Bliss Hairdressing, or via her website at www.gilliansorangutanproject.pledgepage.org

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