Luxury resort and spa, Shangri-La's Rasa Ria, in Malaysian Borneo has announced Sail Jamaludin as its new Nature Ambassador.  Sail will be responsible for leading the development of the resort's Nature Reserve and promoting its news, initiatives and innovative eco-tourism product to an international audience. Rasa Ria is a luxury beach-side resort with its own 64 acre nature reserve nestled within 400 acres of tropical jungle and all watched over by Sabah's iconic Mount Kinabalu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The nature reserve has been developed to enhance the conservation of the flora and fauna that are native to Sabah and allow guests to explore Borneo's indigenous wildlife.  The reserve is home to countless mammals such as long-tailed macaques, sambar deer, pangolins, porcupines, slow loris, bear cats (binturong) and the famous huge-eyed western tarsiers, many of which have been abandoned so have been brought to the reserve to be rehabilitated.  These animals reside alongside over 60 species of birds, 30 species of butterflies, and an array of indigenous plants including the rare Borneo orchids. 

Having successfully completed its orangutan rehabilitation programme, the reserve is currently embarking on a two-year development plan which will include the introduction of a range of new features – including a unique and innovative trail system - to enrich the guests' nature and wildlife experience.

Sail Jamaludin was born and bred in North Borneo and has a career in wildlife conservation spanning nearly 30 years.  In 1996 Sail was brought on to set up Rasa Ria's nature reserve and for the past 20 years he and his team of 8 rangers have been running the Reserve and the Nature Interpretation Centre to teach visitors about the local environment.  In addition Sail has led numerous community activities such as controlling forest clearing and helping villagers initiate eco-villages.

The resort runs a comprehensive scheduled nature programme, including canopy treks through the tree tops, specialist tours such as bird-watching and entomology, and Wildlife Wednesdays whereby a different plant, mammal or insect is highlighted each week.