 "1.1.2009
Sepilok, Sabah Malaysia Dear Human, We, sun bear, would like to say thank you very much to Sekolah kabangsaan Bukit Damansara for organizing campaigns to save endangered animals like us, since 1999. Special thanks to all student artists, teachers, parents and our main sponsor, Vads Bhd, who contributed towards the making of this calendar. We are truly delighted and hopeful for our future. Love, barks and BIG BEAR HUGS!!! From us, Sun Bears" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Around 100 children participated the art completion of “Save our sun bears” at Bukit Damansara Primary school last year. 19 pieces of art were selected to grace a 2009 desk-top calendar on sun bears produced by the Parent Teacher Association of the school. These calendars were sold in December 2008 and January 2009 to raise funds for BSBCC to help the caged bears. Here are some of the art works by these younger generation who hold the future of our wildlife. I would like to thank Bukit Damansara School and the PTA for their kind support and hard work to make all of these work possible. Thank you all! For more information about the “Save our sun bear” campaign, please read: http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/2009/02/16/thank-you-bukit-damansara-school-i-see-hope/
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March 14, 2009 marked history for sun bear conservation in UK. The first meeting of Bornean Sun Bear Conservation UK, a newly established charity group that helps BSBCC and sun bear conservation, meet up in London for the first time to discuss the formation, operation, and direction of the organization. During the meeting, it was agreed that the name of BSBC UK to be change to Sun Bear Conservation Trust, as the mission of saving and helping sun bear and the operation of the activities will not limit to Borneo and UK respectively.
Like most of the successful conservation projects working on saving endangered species in developing countries, the involvement and supports of all levels- from local, national, and all the way to international communities, governments, and NGOs are crucial keys to success. The formation of Sun Bear Conservation Trust, or SBCT, is motivated by several former-volunteers at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and BSBCC, including the Chairwomen Julie Trump who have helped and have up-close-and personal experiences with the sun bears at BSBCC. All of them were inspired by the facts that these bears are truly amazing animals but unfortunately being forgotten by conservation communities and general public. Sun Bear Conservation Trust therefore has a mission to save and help this forgotten bear species. SBCT is now recruiting members in UK and welcome comment and ideals to make it grow stronger. Please feel free to contact Julie at julie.trump@btinternet.com if you would like to be a member, interested in having copy of minutes of meeting or have any question. Text by Ng Wai Pak The shortage of bear cages at BSBCC was a problem since last years after few more new bears were confiscated by the Sabah Wildlife Department. As the result, we have three sub-adult female bears (Anne, Jelita and Lawa) being put into a cage and share their sleeping baskets and living space. Although a bit crowded, they sure enjoy the companionship of each other. While waiting for the state of the art bear houses to be built at the end of the year, more bears were sending to the centre. We have no option and no more space but to put three other bears in temporary cages were quite small. These bears were all cubs and yearling such as Suria, Susie, and the latest one, Kuamut. We have been work hard to seek extra fund to add additional cages to the existing bear house. At last, the problem of fund was sort out and the construction of three cages with a roof was started to build on the 25th February 2009. The cages were built next to the Bemuda and Keningau’s exercise enclosure. The whole construction took 21 days to finish. These three cages and the roof are cost RM10,000. The additional iron bars, feeding tray holders, sleeping baskets and the sliding doors cost another RM2,200. Finally, Suria, Susie, and Kuamut will move into their new home in few more days after the final inspection at the end of the week. I will update the story of these bears in their new temporary home by next week.  The first day 25/2/2009: Building materials were arrived at the bear centre. (140 iron bars and others iron frame and pipes).  In this Monday, March 16 picture Pagi, right, a female Bornean sun bear cub whose name means “morning” in a Malayan dialect, licks her brother, Palu, who is named after a valley in Borneo, as they made their public debut at the San Diego Zoo. (AP/ San Diego Zoo) Endangered Bornean sun bear cubs make public debut at San Diego Zoo Associated Press Last update: March 16, 2009 - 8:38 PM Last update: March 16, 2009 - 8:38 PM SAN DIEGO - Two endangered Bornean sun bear cubs have been introduced at the San Diego Zoo. The twin cubs were born at the zoo on Oct. 25 and made their public debut on Monday. The zoo's lead keeper Lisa Bryant says the cubs spent the day exploring their habitat, including scaling the exhibit's climbing structures. Bryant says Bornean sun bears are affectionately called "monkey bears" because they are the most arboreal bear species. Bryant says the male is more reserved and his sister is more outgoing and curious. The sun bear is the smallest of the world's eight bear species, about half the size of the American black bear, according to the zoo's Web site.  To sun bear researchers,
I hope you all agree with me that research on sun bears is seriously lack behind many endangered species and time is running out for sun bears as the habitat and the animal itself are declining in an alarming rate. Sun bear still remains the least known bear in the world. Over the past few months there have been several students and researchers in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia contacted me about their plans to study sun bears. This is very good news for all of us who love this animal so much. Over the last 10 years I am one of the very few people who studying sun bear in the wild. Thus, I am so happy to see the change now, as many of you want to study sun bears! I have been in contact with most of you and answered questions and help you with all of the resources I have individually. I am very happy to help you all in whatever way I could. However, because some of you are studying the same aspects and may have similar questions on your study, I think it is time and good for us to help each other by SHARING information and resources. I strongly believe that this is the way to help our understanding on this species without showing selfishness on individual studies but to open up our heart to seek the best information on sun bear that will eventually aid the conservation and research on sun bear in SE Asia. Therefore, I started a discussion group on “Save the Sun Bear” at http://borneozoology.ning.com/group/savethesunbears. This site http://borneozoology.ning.com/ is started by Dr. Tajjudin Mohd from University Malaysia Sarawak, in the hope of providing a space for students, teachers, zoologists, etc., to discuss topics of their interest in zoology, biology, ecology and anything that we are interested with. So please join us and start the discussion, NOW. |
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