KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Donations to a Malaysian orangutan protection program can now be deducted from taxes, even if they come from players in the palm oil industry, the foundation that runs the program said on Wednesday.

The tax relief will be in line with the Income Tax Act, said a statement from the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation. However, the amount of the relief was not specified.

The orangutan conservation initiative is led by the Ministry of Plantations and Resources.

Orangutans are threatened with extinction. The conservation organization WWF estimates that there are fewer than 105,000 of these primates left on the island of Borneo.

The foundation will use donations to protect and conserve orangutans and, among other things, set up teams of experts to monitor the endangered animals.

“The funds can also be used to plant forest trees and fruits that serve as a source of food for the orangutans,” said the foundation’s executive director, Hairulazim Mahmud.

On Sunday, the raw materials minister said companies importing palm oil from Malaysia would be allowed to adopt orangutans, but the primates would not be allowed to leave the country.

(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by John Mair)