Civil Service in the news
Queen of the jungle
29/10/2007 - Department for Work and Pensions [External website] 
If your idea of the perfect holiday is sipping margaritas from the comfort of a sun lounger - it might be best to look away now.
Braving snakes, 100 per cent humidity and freezing cold showers may not be everybody's idea of a relaxing break.
But DWP's Yvonne Bell (pictured) is rarely happier than when she's pulling leeches from her legs and roughing it in the jungle.
The aide to the assistant director of Corporate Leadership and Governance returned from the depths of Borneo earlier this year after spending four weeks doing conservation work at the Matang Wildlife Centre, Sarawak.
During her stay, Yvonne helped the sanctuary care for orphaned orang-utans, feed animals and repair enclosures.
“It was absolutely incredible,” she told DWPeople.
“The whole experience far exceeded my expectations. There was a lot of hard work but it was so worth it.”
Yvonne volunteered to work at the centre after visiting it with her husband on holiday 12 months before. The sanctuary cares for a range of animals, including primates, as part of its vital conservation work in the area.
“Orang-utans are so similar to us,” said Yvonne.
“I think they share something like 97.2 per cent of our DNA and they are almost like silent people.
“Over the years, the centre has put six orang-utans back into the wild. I think Doris, one of the orang-utans at the centre, was particularly special to me because she will never go back into the wild.
“She was born at the centre and she always had very close human contact, which she craves. It is almost like when you go in, she knows it's a friend.”
Volunteers at the centre, who come from all over the world, live in the jungle during their stay. But despite the idyllic surroundings, there are one or two challenges to overcome.
“I did find a leech on my leg once out there," said Yvonne. "I didn't know how to get rid of it but was told to pour salt on them. We also had freezing cold showers every morning. In the heat and humidity you'd think it would be quite nice but believe me it wasn't!”