Outreach to Tenom schools
It all begins with an idea.
The BSBCC team visited 5 schools located at the Tenom district in Sabah for an education and awareness programme. The outreach programme organized by NGO, HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme in partnership with Sabah Wildlife Department and BSBCC aimed to raise awareness on the important needs to protect the environment and wildlife within the state of Sabah. More than 1000 students, teachers and school administrative staff were reached throughout the 5-day programme. The organizing team were glad to have support from each schools and hope participants gained bountiful knowledge on environmental and wildlife protection in Sabah.
Program Pendidikan & Tamu Gadang Amal Sun Bear Hero MRSM
It all begins with an idea.
BSBCC is very delighted to be the collaborator for the Sun Bear Hero Programme organized by Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Tun Mohammad Fuad Stephens (MRSM Sandakan), where the activities were mainly conducted by their students themselves. Our Environmental Education unit officers has also given some information on the sun bears and insights about the centre by giving presentations, setting up exhibition booth, and running several mini activities. It was a great effort by the school for their Sustainability Development Goal 2030 project which focuses on Goal 15 (Life on Land), with their main objective this year is to get funding for the centre while sowing and increase the awareness of students on the importance to care and conserve the environment through the Kahoot challenge, Minecraft Education Edition, Digital Story with Microsoft Sawy, and #MyVoice #SavetheSunBear campaign. At least 200 students which includes 10 primary schools were involved in the Sun Bear Hero Education Programme.
Charity Night Market (or Tamu Gadang Amal) were also organized by MRSM for the night session, where the profits were contributed for our share bear adoption programme: little Miss Kitud. An adoption gimmick was also done after some student performances and speeches from all respective parties involved.
BSBCC From The Tallest Guy Perspective
It all begins with an idea.
Text by Jonas Bolin
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
Hello!
My name is Jonas Bolin and I am 18 years old and live in Sweden. I am right now studying to become an animal keeper and will graduate this spring. I was one of the lucky few to get the opportunity to do my internship at bsbcc which I am so grateful for. This trip was going to be the biggest adventure of my life and I could not be more excited about it. However, this was one of the most incredible journeys I have ever imagined and I was planning to gather so much experience.
I am right now at the end of my internship at bsbcc which of course is very sad, but when I look back at my time here I could not resist to smile. These five weeks has been so incredible and I have earned more experience than I could imagine. However, the first two weeks was mostly focused of learning the routines for me. It is always so many new things to learn wherever you go and when they told me to learn all the bears names and identify them I thought they were crazy. I thought it would be hard enough to learn the names of the staff. But after the first two weeks I started to learn all the different behaviours and the characteristic things among the bears, which was a pretty cool feeling if you ask me. But all this was thanks to all the keepers that had patience with me and told me that we learn by mistakes which made me try until I succeeded. It is so inspiring to see all these hard working people and see how much they care for Sun bears. They have taught me a lot about Sun bears and its importance to the ecosystem here in Borneo and what we have to do to make sure they can survive in the wild. I cannot thank these guys enough and I wish them the best of luck in the future because they are some of the best people I have met in my hole life. One moment I will remember for a long time is meeting the founder of bsbcc Dr. Wong Siew Te. He is such an inspiring man who care so much for the animals and their environment. I have a feeling that he has started something big that will lead to a new level of animal caretaking in many places of the world.
So during my weeks I have as I said gathered so much experience. I have so much work experience which I will bring me for my whole life and my future carer. What is more is that I have gathered even more life experience during this trip which has made me a new person, I can handle so much more than I thought before. I will use all this experience my whole life and make sure to always remember this adventure. But most of all I will remember all the friends I have found down here, even if we cannot make sure that we will see each other again I will always have them in my mind. Of course I will miss the bears as well and they will always have a special place in my heart.
So this adventure was not what I was expecting, it was so much better. I will therefor thank BCBCC and APE Malaysia for making this dream come true. I will miss everything so much and I am really looking forward to see what this centre can become in 10 more years.
// Jonas Bolin
Sandakan School creates first Sun Bear-themed library
It all begins with an idea.
Daily Express, 16th July 2018
by Mardinah Jikur
Perpustakaan bertemakan beruang madu mampu tingkat kesedaran
Harian Ekspres, 15th July 2018
by Mardinah Jikur
Logan –Taste of Freedom
Text & Photos by Chiew Lin May
Found abandoned near Lokan River, Kulu-Kulu Village in Sabah and kept in a cage for three months as a house pet. He was then surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife Department and sent to BSBCC on the 19th of May, 2018. Every year, orphaned sun bears are rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department or are surrendered by local people. Sun bear cubs are targeted for the illegal pet trade, hunted for food or used in traditional medicine. It is believed that their mother will be killed so that the poacher can snatch the bear cub. In the wild, sun bear cubs will spend the first two to three years of their lives with their mom. Without his mother to teach him the skills he needs, the sun bear becomes incapable of being released back into the wild and they must rely on our rehabilitation support.
The rehabilitation process after his arrival starts with strong bonding with his surrogate mother (bear care taker), where he slowly gains trust, strength and can be a wild bear again. The surrogate mother then will be assisting in daily walks in the forest with the bear cub to give them a second chance to learn all of the skills needed to survive in the forest.
The youngest male sun bear cub, Logan has settled happily into his new life. You can see how much little Logan has grown in that time and how chubby he is now with a weight of 15.10 kg.
With a beautiful yellow sun bear little crescent chest mark
This brave bear that has lost his mother endured a lifetime of suffering in captivity and has never known the wild freedom he was born to have. On the 7th of June 2018, Logan finally felt the sunshine and grass under his little paws again!
Learn to be wild bear again!
Day by day it is such a blissful time in the morning, he knows when we are going to start walking him in the forest. He will quickly climb down from his basket and without hesitation he will run into the dense forest. He is developing very well and showing great progress with his forest skills.
No surprise – he is always busy foraging and filling his tummy! Sun bears are opportunistic omnivores. For Logan, he loves to dig by using his sharp curved claws and strong teeth in search his favourite wild food - termites, ants, insects, pill millipedes and bird carcasses. When he finds something for his own, he is very happy about it! Sometimes Logan will stand up on his hind legs to get a better smell or view of something that attracted his attention.
Busy Logan! Finding favorite food
Deserves it!
Logan digs into decayed wood with his long claws
Lots of yummy food to find here!!
Now for some foraging
Logan checks a dead log for termites
Logan is licking ants off the tree
Yummy! Bird Carcass!
Favourite Termite Mounds! He uses his sharp claws and teeth to break the termite mounds
Logan was missing his left thumb and his left front paw has developed abnormally, but these have never made give him up and he is always full of enthusiasm climbing trees. He loves to learn new skills and develops his small muscles every day! He is an agile climber where he uses his powerful legs, feet with hairless soles and sharp claws to climb the tree. Right after foraging he will choose a tree he loves and climb it. He learns the way to climb trees or liana and just enjoys the beautiful sun view! He is so brave! He always wants to make the most of what he has got! Only sometimes he will easily get tired after he tries to climb too many trees.
His true ability and agile shine through when up in the tree canopy where he belongs
Once out to the forest, he quickly climbs up into the trees
Explore my new HOME in the dense rainforest
He does a balancing act on the small branch!
Logan is comfy on Liana
How to stay COOL on tree!!
Never tired!
Logan have an incredible sense of smell!
When he gets excited roaming the forest he will start to play fight and wrestle with his surrogate mother. He loves to play with anything and everything.
He absolutely loved it- he will rolling and running around!
He is a very active little bear! He knows the way to the stream and enjoys dipping, chilling in the stream or laying his snout deep in the water to beat the hot weather! Logan takes great pleasure enjoying his freedom each day in the forest.
Nothing feels BEST than a dip in the stream
For little Logan, his newfound freedom has meant to him: tearing decayed wood, finding his favourite food such as termites, sun bathing, and soaking in the stream. We cannot wait to see the next challenge he has to learn to grow every day.
He is a cheeky and intelligent bear to enjoy all things in the forest
How relaxed and comfortable can a cub be
Laze on the forest floor
Logan take a nap
Peekaboo!!
Looking at these pictures, it is hard believe he is a huge part of the forest life now and is also catching his daily experience in life. Watching him is like watching any bear cubs in the wild!
He looks so at ease outside the forest
Miss my mum to venture together in the forest
Little Logan learn to trust and realize life with Tall trees, grass, insects, macaques at the forest
Logan will adapt well to life as a WILD sun bear and slowly he learns to leave his past as a pet behind him
Launching of SJK (C) Tai Tong Sun Bear Library
12th July 2018: The new school library's design adapts the Sun Bear as their main theme and it was a great pleasure for BSBCC to be a part of their launching today. Many thanks to the school especially to their headmistress, Mdm. Tan for the invitation and the designer of the library, Mr. Edward Tham for having the idea of spreading awareness of our endangered sun bear to the students by placing information boards around the library. It is also a great effort from the school to place a donation box on the library counter and to give self-designed bookmarks as token of appreciation for those who donated RM10 and above. The school already managed to collect RM2000 so far and the amount were given to BSBCC as part of their Share Bear adoption plan. We hope to have more collaboration with SJK (C) Tai Tong in the future and more schools will incorporate the Bornean Sun Bear as part of their school events or activities.
Youth Climate Action Training Camp (July 5th-8th)
#PowerShiftMsia collaborated with Eco Campus Management Centre (EMC) and UMS Borneo Marine Research Institute to run a four-day climate action training camp at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. The camp was sponsored by Global Environment Facility (GEF), Small Grants Programme (SGP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), completed with mentors and trainings to equip their participants with the necessary tools and skills to work on projects/ideas to improve environment among Sabah community. BSBCC send off two of our staffs from the Environment Education Unit, Mdm. Risnayati and Ms. Melynda to participate in the camp. The training camp served as a capacity platform and has been emphasizing on different useful aspects, escpecially in project management, creative campaigning, community engagement, media and communications, and policy learning. It is also an experience to strenghthen climate/environmental knowledge, besides generating ideas to make a difference in tackling climate change and environmental issues in the Sabah community. Participants from a whole range of youth were selected in joining the training, from local postgraduates to students from Politeknik Sandakan and the non-profit group from BENTERAKATA. We are excited to bring in the skills that we have just learnt into our education modules.
Romolina, Orphan Sun Bear Saved
Text by Chiew Lin May
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
“We always hope this is the last bear taken from the wild and then it happens again; more efforts are needed to STOP this from happening”
Romolina one of our new arrival rescue bear. She is in safe hands at BSBCC now.
A four months old female sun bear cub, Romolina was kept as a pet in a small cage for about three months until a person got knowledge of her and quickly rescued her from a villager by negotiating with them to hand over the bear. The owner claims that he had found the bear cub at forest alone and took her home then kept her as a pet at Kampung Romol, Sapulut, in the interior division of Sabah. Romolina (Rescue No.58) was handed-over to the Sabah Wildlife Department and sent to BSBCC today (7th July 2018).
As it is always with sun bears that young, she has been stolen from her mother as a cub and kept as illegal pet that lived her life locked up in tiny cage. We are not sure exactly what happened to Romolina’s mother, but we know a mother would not abandon her baby alone in the forest. She is now safe in our care and will go through routine quarantine. She will be given a full medical checkup. Thankfully she was rescued, and we are thankful to the responsible person who saved her life.
A life saved!
Unloading Romolina from the truck and transferring her to quarantine.
Romolina steps out of her cage and moves into her new comfy, large den. Getting her first taste of a second chance at freedom at the centre.
This is the second orphaned sun bear that was rescued in 2018 and given into our care. Sun bears are under serious threat in the wild. This is worrying as it shows that poaching is still happening out there with the rampant sale of sun bears as pets or illegal bear bile medicine, and this will bring sun bears on the brink of extinction soon.
Please remember that a sun bears should never be been taken away from their mothers in the wild and kept as illegal pets. We need to continue our fight for the survival of this species by ending the cruel demand for bear parts, and by strengthening wildlife laws and enforcement. Let’s PROTECT them, before it is too late!
Two years jail and RM 50,000 fine for having sun bear's body parts
Borneo Post, 6th July 2018
By Safrah Mat Salleh
My First Time in Borneo, But Not The Last
Text by Sofia Lundegårdh
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
My name is Sofia Lundegårdh, I am 18 and from Sweden. For my entire life I have known that I want to work with animals, which is why I chose to study animal care and am now in the final year of my 3 year education. It was only recently that I found more interest in animal rehabilitation, so when I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre thanks to a scholarship from my school I was so happy I almost could not believe it. Therefore, as part of the internship that is included in my education, I travelled to Borneo for 5 weeks together with my classmate Jonas.
It was my first time ever going to Asia and working in such a warm and humid climate, which took some time to get used to after coming directly from the snow in Sweden. Sometimes it got tough, but the staff was great at making sure that were okay and considerate when you needed breaks. In the end, knowing that what I did was to help the bears made all the work very rewarding.
The daily routines at the BSBCC consisted of cleaning cages and preparing food for the bears which was given to them both inside the bear house as well as the outside forest enclosures. One of my favourite things to do, however, was making enrichments. Every day all the bears had to be stimulated to keep them entertained and encourage their natural behaviours to help them learn about the forest. Enrichments were usually made out of whatever materials we had available such as leaves, sticks and fire hoses and filled with hidden treats like peanut butter or honey. But we also got the chance to test our creativity and make something bigger and more advance, in my case a hammock and a ramp! Later watching the bears play with whatever you gave them always made me happy, but I also began noticing the different behaviours and characteristics between individuals. Before I came here I did not know much about sun bears, but their charming and unique personalities made them the most wonderful animal that I have ever worked with. It saddens me deeply that their backgrounds are filled with so much trauma caused by humans after having been kept as pets under horrible conditions.
As I slowly got to know the bears, I also got to know the staff of the centre. Everyone has been so friendly, welcoming and helpful from the very start, and working next to them has taught me a lot about animal rehabilitation as well as given me insight into the operation of the work place. I also found it incredibly inspiring to see how passionate, dedicated and caring for the bears all the keepers are.
I really do not want to go home yet, but these 5 weeks have gone by way too fast. I am so grateful for my school sending me here, as this experience has been one of the best things I have ever done in my life, and though I am sad to leave I also made so many great memories. To the staff of BSBCC, thank you all so incredibly much for everything you do for the bears and for everything you did for me during these 5 weeks. I am already planning my next visit here, as I definitely want to come back in the nearest possible future!
Lastly, I would like to share a quote from Jane Goodall that I was shown by Dr Wong. It has meant a lot to me during my time here and will continue to inspire me for the rest of my life, so I hope that it might do the same for anyone else who reads this: “Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall they be saved.”
BSBCC Sepilok anjur program Pendidikan dan Kesedaran Hidupan Liar Sabah
Utusan Borneo (Sabah) Online, 6th July 2018
By Salman Abadi
PROGRAM Pendidikan dan Kesedaran Konservasi Hidupan Liar Sabah (Siri 1) 2018 anjuran Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) Sepilok bersamasama Jabatan Hidupan Liar (JHL) Sabah dan Hutan-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme (KOCP) berlangsung dengan jayanya di Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Segaliud, Sandakan, Selasa lepas. Kebangsaan (SK) Segaliud, Sandakan, Selasa lepas.
Pegawai Pendidikan Alam Sekitar BSBCC Risnayati Lammu yang juga ketua rombongan dan penyelaras program itu berkata, objektif program itu ialah berkongsi informasi atau maklumat mengenai hidupan liar yang terdapat di Sabah.
Katanya, ia juga bertujuan memberi pendedahan, pengetahuan dan pendidikan serta memupuk kesedaran dalam kalangan pelajar mengenai kepentingan memulihara dan melindungi hidupan liar.
Selain itu, ia juga dapat meningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat, khasnya golongan pelajar untuk bersama-sama membantu melindungi hidupan liar agar tidak mengalami kepupusan demi generasi akan datang.
Pelbagai aktiviti diadakan sempena program itu termasuklah taklimat pendidikan dan kesedaran tentang konservasi hidupan liar, pertandingan mewarna topeng hidupan liar, menonton tayangan video, kuiz dan juga pameran berkaitan hidupan liar.
Risnayati menjelaskan BSBCC merupakan sebuah badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang ditubuhkan oleh Dr Wong Siew Te pada tahun 2008 dengan kerjasama Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah, Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah dan Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP).
BSBCC berperanan memulihara beruang madu bekas haiwan peliharaan supaya boleh berdikari dan kembali hidup di habitat asal. Pada masa kini katanya, terdapat 43 ekor beruang madu yang berada di bawah jagaan BSBCC.
Beruang madu merupakan spesies beruang yang terkecil di dunia dan populasinya semakin berkurangan disebabkan oleh aktiviti pemburuan haram, eksploitasi bahagian tubuh, kehilangan tempat tinggal dan dijadikan sebagai haiwan peliharaan.
“Oleh itu, salah satu matlamat utama BSBCC ialah memberikan kesedaran kepada orang ramai khususnya para pelajar mengenai kepentingan melindungi hidupan liar terutamanya beruang madu,” katanya.
Sempena program yang amat menarik dan julung kali diadakan di sekolah itu, pihak BSBCC menyampaikan beberapa taklimat iaitu pengenalan kepada hidupan liar di Sabah, pengenalan dan status perlindungan orang utan di Sabah serta pengenalan kepada harimau dahan dan juga beruang madu.
Selain taklimat sarat berinformasi yang disampaikan oleh Risnayati, aktiviti pameran hidupan liar yang diadakan dewan terbuka Datuk Shamsudin Yahya (mantan Adun Sekong) amat menarik perhatian pengunjung, khasnya dalam kalangan hampir 200 murid dan warga SK Segaliud, Sandakan.
Pelbagai rangka tulang haiwan hidupan liar yang tidak pernah dilihat sebelum ini dapat disaksikan sendiri melalui pameran itu.
Antaranya ialah rangka tengkorak dan tulang beruang madu, orang utan, gajah, penyu dan sebagainya. Turut dipamerkan ialah sampel makanan haiwan yang disimpan dalam balang kaca, pelbagai poster pendidikan dan kesedaran konservasi hidupan liar.
Risnayati berkata pihaknya menyasarkan untuk mengadakan program itu ke semua sekolah di Sabah secara berperingkat, tertakluk kepada keadaan masa dan kemampuan, namun sasaran awal buat masa ini ialah sekolahsekolah di sekitar daerah Sandakan.
Pihaknya telah mengadakan program serupa pada awal tahun ini dan pada Julai ini, pihaknya telah melaksanakan program pendidikan serta kesedaran konservasi hidupan liar itu di SMK Segaliud (2 Julai), SK Segaliud (3 Julai) dan SK Taman Rimba, Sandakan (4 Julai), manakala program di SK Gas, Sandakan (sepatutnya 5 Julai) terpaksa ditangguhkan kerana sekolah itu terlibat sebagai pusat penempatan sementara (PPS) mangsa kebakaran yang berlaku di kampung berkenaan, baru-baru ini.
Berucap pada majlis penangguhan program itu, Guru Besar SK Segaliud Abd Rait Othman merakamkan penghargaan dan terima kasih kepada pihak BSBCC, JHL dan juga pihak Hutan-KOCP.
Katanya, pihak sekolah amat menghargai usaha murni pihak berkenaan dalam menjayakan program itu yang ternyata amat baik dan bermanfaat dalam konteks pendidikan serta pemupukan kesedaran tentang hidupan liar di Sabah.
“Pendidikan adalah universal boleh diadakan dalam bilik darjah atau di luar bilik darjah,” katanya sambil menekankan bahawa pendidikan alam sekitar merujuk kepada pemuliharaan dan pemeliharaan fauna serta haiwan adalah menjurus kepada kehidupan lestari yang menjanjikan kehidupan lebih sempurna kepada generasi yang akan datang.
Menurutnya, sikap cintakan alam sekitar yang bersih dan menghargai hidupan liar mesti dipupuk seawal usia kanak-kanak di peringkat sekolah rendah lagi. Beliau berharap agar program seumpamanya dapat diperluaskan dan terus diadakan pada masa akan datang kerana ia merupakan aspek pendidikan yang amat penting diberi pendedahan kepada masyarakat, khasnya para pelajar.
Abd Rait berkata, berdasarkan respon murid-murid dan warga sekolah, mereka ternyata sangat berminat dan pastinya mendapat banyak ilmu pengetahuan dan pengalaman baharu menerusi program itu.
Pihak sekolah turut berterima kasih kepada pihak BSBCC khasnya Risnayati dan seluruh ahli jawatankuasa (AJK) yang terlibat, sama ada di peringkat sekolah mahupun peringkat Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) Sandakan yang sangat memberi kerjasama dan sentiasa menyokong apa juga program pembangunan pendidikan di sekolah.
Abd. Rait menyampaikan hadiah kepada para pemenang aktiviti hidupan liar.
Abd. Rait menerima cenderamata daripada wakil BSBCC.
SANDAKAN DISTRICT SCHOOL OUTREACH PROGRAMME (JULY 2018)
Similar to our previous Sandakan District School Outreach Programme‟s of the past, our education team organized another outreach programme for Sandakan district on July 2nd, 2018 at SMK Segaliud. This event was in cooperation with our partners in environmental awareness including Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme (HUTAN-KOCP) that took place at SK Segaliud and SK Taman Rimba on July 3rd-4th 2018.
All of the scheduled activities were completed successfully and included activities such as talks from the participating agencies, exhibition booths, interactive group games and colouring activities. It is wonderful to see such enthusiasm and curiosity from the participating students related to the conservation of nature and wildlife. It is our hope that these programmes can nurture and develop more nature lovers and conservationists into the future and that we enhance and spread the awareness for not only the conservation of nature and wildlife, but also for Sun Bears. Special thanks goes out to the Sabah Wildlife Department and HUTAN-KOCP for their participation and partnership and to the school staff that were involved and that provided their utmost cooperation and hospitality.
Our education officer, Mdm Risnayati and volunteer, Ms. Yu Qi giving explanations to the students at the booth and in SMK Segaliud, Sandakan
Participating agencies and the school staffs of SK Rimba, Sandakan taking some pictures with Sunny the Sun Bear.
Sunny the Sun Bear mascot posing with the students of SK Segaliud, Sandakan for the very successful program!
Outreach Program SK Taman Rimba, Sandakan 4th July 2018
As a continuity of the previous outreaches in the two previous days, on 4th of July 2018, another outreach program had been successfully organised at SK Taman Rimba with cooperation with Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and HUTAN-KOCP as a continuation to the previous two outreaches. All of the scheduled activities had been successfully conducted such as talks from the participating agencies, exhibition booths, interactive group game and colouring activity. Special thanks for Sabah Wildlife Department and HUTAN-KOCP for the participation and good cooperation and also not forgotten, the staffs of SK Taman Rimba, Sandakan for their hospitality.
Outreach Program SK Segaliud, Sandakan 03 July 2018
Carrying out the same education program objectives like the first visit to SMK Segaliud, our education team organized another outreach program yesterday (3rd July 2018) at SK Segaliud in cooperation with Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and HUTAN-KOCP. Activities such as talks, exhibition booths from different agencies, interactive games, and colouring activity had been carried out successfully. It is wonderful to see such enthusiasm and curiosity of the primary school students about the conservation of our nature and wildlife and it is hoped that this kind of programme can nurture and develop more nature lovers and conservationist in the future. Special thanks to Sabah Wildlife department and HUTAN-KOCP for their participation and cooperation and to the teachers and students of SK Segaliud for their utmost cooperation.
