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Text by Khushalinie Kalayarasu Photos by BSBCC  My name is Khushalinie Kalayarasu, people call me Khusha most of the time. It has definitely been a privilege to be given the opportunity to volunteer in the BSBCC. A remarkable experience it was and I have no regrets. In the hopes of becoming a veterinarian one day, this experience has indeed given me the knowledge and built up awareness in keeping the wildlife as safe and competent as possible for all animals to survive. I certainly have to thank all the people that are working there. They have guided me through this journey with such compassion. I was mesmerized by their dedication towards the bears and it makes every second more worth than it already is. Seeing them show the same amount of dedication every single day has made my experience more memorable. They care so much about these bears and it leaves me felling in awe. Not only that being said, they were the same crew that has enlightened me with the knowledge about the sun bears behaviour and characteristics. I believe that we are truly lucky to have these sun bears being a part of our wildlife habitat and the thought of them being endangered is very devastating. It took me by complete shock when I heard about how people would capture and keep sun bears for their own benefit. Poaching and illegal hunting should be taken under serious consideration as these wildlife animals are losing their habitat due to human being’s selfishness. These bears are one of a kind and should be cherished, not tortured. These past two weeks has been an experience to never forget. Being a part of such a welcoming team and helping the bears to heal and grow in their natural habitat the best way possible was indeed the cherry on top of this experience. I would be part of their enrichment making process in order to challenge the bears hence preparing food for them. It is definitely physically challenging but I believe that this experience is truly worth it. Gaining the knowledge about sun bears have opened my eyes to the importance of the wildlife community.  My buddy and I working on the bamboo  Banana Leaves for the bears  working togetherrrrr !! Given a second opportunity, I would embrace this amazing experience once again and share it with the world. Knowing sun bears are a vulnerable species, they deserved to be loved and taken care of. I really do hope that all of us can give back what has been taken from Mother Nature. The freedom of animals, the majestic forest and the love of an unborn bear. Said threatened sun bears should be loved equally as any other animals. This experience does more than opening my eyes to the actual world.
Once again, I would just like to thank everyone that had stood by me throughout this journey. Thank you for the opportunity, knowledge and accepting me with open arms. Yours truly, Khusha Big Bear Hugs xx
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Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May In Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) we have had a busy month with big changes for the rescue sun bear. Some introduced and meet new bear friends, give them environment which is as close as possible to life in the wild, given regular environmental enrichment to stimulate their natural bear behaviour, some going through fence training before out to forest enclosure and some learning and reintroduce to forest environment, some explore in the wild.  Dodop had been kept illegally as house pet by residents in Singgaron village, Ranau district Sabah who had spent over one year in the smallest cage we had ever seen. She was found missing all four milk canines before she been rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department.  Dodop has much tame or attach to human who have been kept for long periods in captivity. She need special attention during her rehabilitation process but her wounds from being kept as pet have healed well, she shows great progress, gaining weight, no more cry or growling, four permanent canines is growing and...  she love play with a nine months old female sun bear cub, Wawa. They seems have a wonderful relationship.  Next rehabilitation phase for Dodop is taking her out for walks in the forest. Having been without her mother since she was a tiny cub, Dodop has never been taught the survival skills she will need to survive in the wild. Now she will have to learn from her surrogate mother.  We are delighted that on August 14th, 2016 once the quarantine door was opened, Dodop makes a speedy getaway!  Dodop was not sure at first that she step on the forest soil, she spent her first moments of freedom just digs soil,  digs dead log and  sniff forest air.  Then her surrogate mother carried her to put her on tree which reintroduce or encourage her to climbing to improve Dodop’s mobility. She had no clue what is these big tree is all about...  but slowly she realized there were so many tall trees around her.  Real forest!   Dodop is bright and curious always.  She contact with variety of plants, trees and animal (insects, long-tailed macaques and pig- tailed macaques).   Dodop quick to settle in and started exploring environment.  Everytimes walk her in the forest, she immediately started to look for wild food first by digging it. She is quite curious and getting deep into it.    Dodop sense is tremendous, enabling her to locate termite nests! She will expose the termite nests with her long claws and lick out by using superb long tongue.      She has been eating many kinds of foods such as termites, beetle larvae, snail and earthworms.   Sun bears are arboreal living and good in tree climbers. They climb trees to get honey in the bee hives. Dodop is no exception as well.  She will climb high trees and looks though as she knows everything here!   She enjoys sunbathing on trees. She feel the cool breeze.   Sometimes Dodop will interacting more with her surrogate mother. She will play fight and learn defense skills or suckle on surrogate mother shoulder to seek comfort and feel safe being with her mother. This behavior seen in the wild where the baby will suckling for mother’s milk make the baby feel comfort and safe.   Dodop will still being guided by her surrogate mother and develop, master her forest skills she needs to become independent.   Our bear team will monitors Dodops’ behavioural development is her new home. We love learning about sun bears and have been inspired by these magnificent creatures.   Watching beautiful freedom dash about Dodop life, you will have no idea that this is the sun bear life should be!   As the sun bear cub at the Centre, Dodop is quite a character with a strong sense of nature with beautiful yellow sun bear crescent chest mark.  She is free and happy to put her old trauma life behind her.  Dodop has learnt two lessons at an early age - that is in indeed a forest out there and that there really is no place like forest home! She has never stop try and appreciate it! Please help us stop the illegal keeping and exploitation of sun bears. Sun bears belong in the wild and should not be kept as pets!  Text by Seng Yen Wah Photos by BSBCC Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre provided me a really good opportunity for my internship in order to complete my study in Universiti Malaysia Sabah. When people asked me, what are you doing in BSBCC? Why are you helps to clean the cages in everyday? Cleaning cages is the basic but important animal husbandry for the sun bear. Because a clean cage can helps to decrease the chances for them to get sick. In the early morning, the man power of bear care team will divide into three which are bear house 1, bear house 2 and kitchen. If you assign in the kitchen, prepare the food for all the bears in the day will be your task. Afternoon is the time for us to make enrichment for the bears. Enrichment, actually is a toy for the bears but these toy is helps to encourage the bears to utilize their own strength. You can have a million of creative way to build an enrichment for the bears but bare in mind, animal safety always comes first.  APE volunteer, Kim and Viktoria with me and bear keeper, Roger were preparing ‘fire hose pocket’ to the bears. Within the fire hose pocket, we put a layer of peanut butter and put some dog biscuit to encourage the bears to utilize their tongue to get the foods inside.  APE volunteers and I were preparing egg carton. Egg carton have the same concept with the Sandwich. In between the egg carton, we put some treats like bananas, honey and ginger leaves. And hence, they can spend some times to get the foods in between the egg carton that tied hardly by ropes.  Ice block is an ice cream for the bears because ice block can helps to relieve their heat in the hot weather. APE volunteer, Sabine and I were preparing the fruits for making ice block.  Other than woods, bamboos are one of the general materials for making enrichment to the bears. And hence, we collect the bamboos and cut it into smaller pieces for different enrichment purpose such as bamboo feeder and many more.  When there is a good weather in the day, we went out from BSBCC and collect the dry leaves at the road side. Dry leaves are used to provide a dry cage for the bears. So the bears can enjoy a natural environment even they stayed inside the cages.  Staircase platform is an enrichment that made by my bear keeper buddy, Mizuno and I for Sigalung, 8 years old male bear. This staircase platform can provide him a resting place and encourage him to do more climbing.  I like this enrichment – Sigalung. BSBCC is using the terms of conservation which covers with animal welfare, rehabilitation, education and research. Integration, fence training and release back to the forest enclosure are included in rehabilitation. One of the rehabilitation purpose is provides to the bears have a second chance to back to the forest along with learning and practicing natural survival skills. Within these six months, I got the chance to take part on helping in fence training and release Kala, Boboi, Kitud and TanTan to the forest enclosure, Pen D and Pen C. Besides that, they were integrated with sub-adult group, Sunbearo, Loki, Ronnie Girl, Momtom, Susie2 and Damai. And now, Mary joined them as well. There are 40 bears in BSBCC with different history. But, most of them were kept as pet before. They were kept in a small cage without experienced the real forest. How could their home become a strange place for them? So, rehabilitation takes time for them to adapt the new environment and confront their traumatic early life.  Kala underwent fence training in training pen.  Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan were played fight in training pen.  Say Hi from Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan  Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan were integrated well with sub-adult group, Sunbearo, Loki, Ronnie Girl, Momtom, Damai, Susie2 and Kala.  Finally, Kala touched on the ground in the forest enclosure.  This is the way how Kala enjoy herself in forest enclosure with the beautiful sunlight.  The different ways of Tan Tan playing on a tree. I had learnt a lot in BSBCC. And here, I would like to thank you, all the bear care team member, Thye Lim, Lin May, Azzry, Lester, Roger, David, Ronny, Tommy, Andy and my bear keeper buddy, Mizuno to guide me, share their knowledge and experience with me along my internship at BSBCC. They always make my day and lots of joy and laughter in every moment I spent in BSBCC. Thanks for all the help and taking care of me.  .Text and Photos by Estee Lim Siew Teow Sun bear is not a pet, not for cuddle nor taking any close up photo with ... this is the only way to take photo with sun bear like below.  I was ex volunteer for BSBCC four years ago ...prior that I had no idea about sun bear this type of species, and their existing in Borneo as well , like many other Malaysian !! I was introduced to BSBCC and to Mr Wong by my old classmate, we came to this centre together as volunteers for two weeks ! At that time there was only four staff in BSBCC, including Mr Wong, plus few volunteers and 20 sun bears. To be honest I had great time and experience working at the Bears house, on the same time came to know more about sun bears and other wildlife in Borneo !! Four years later (2016) I came to visit to BSBCC and be one of the volunteers again during my six months sabbatical leave, I have witnessed a huge transformation of BSBCC before and after it open to public. The centre even have second viewing platform, what an exciting news !! Congratulation to Mr Wong and good job to the A team.  Proud to be part of the A team, even only for more than one week volunteering at the BSBCC.  The first viewing platform  Ariel walkway to 2nd platform ...me with the spotting camera !! So cool .... This time I was not involved in Bear house to care for sun bears, coz they had enough volunteers in the bear house and I was here only for short period !! On the other hand, it was a good sign to show that more young people are involving in voluntary work at BSBCC. I was allocated to education team with Gloria , Jeremy and Inna ...All of them are friendly, nice and helpful !!! Learning a lot during the time at the viewing platform when they talked to people about the individual sun bear and the centre.  Inna and the kids from kindergarten I felt comfortable to answering questions for the visitors after few times I was at the viewing platform with Gloria and Inna. I also managed to operate the spotting camera and help visitors to take closed up photos of sun bears.  Sun bear was resting at the tree. Photo was taken through spotting camera.  Sun bear was climbing the tree. Photo taken at the 1st viewing platform  Involving in the project of the 3 difference positions of the sun bear sculptures ...Hopefully for my next visit 4 years later I can see the end result !!!  Involving in the project of the 3 difference positions of the sun bear sculptures ...Hopefully for my next visit 4 years later I can see the end result !!!  Big and miniatures sun bears sculptures. So cute .....Get ready the miniature paper craft sun bear for ROR festival. I was lucky to be able to involve in the 3rd year ROR festival (Borneo Rhythms of Rimba Wildlife Festival). My first time to teach people how to make paper craft .... first craft to make a sun bear  D.I.Y paper craft sun bear and painting mask done by the visitors at ROR festival ..... nice to chit chat with the young and adult visitors ! Quite a good response of making DIY hand craft sun bear from the adult and teenagers.  ROR festival 20/8 to 21/8/2016  Fun at ROR festival....  Selfies....everyone smile !  Dancing in the rain .....I was just watching only.  My favourite little girl ....  First couple who made the paper craft sun bears .....they enjoyed this activity.  Helping Inna at the ROR festival during the film showing for the kids from Chinese kindergarten and their parents..... Explaining to some of the kids in Chinese !!!  Helping Inna at the ROR festival during the film showing for the kids from Chinese kindergarten and their parents..... Explaining to some of the kids in Chinese !!!  Me and Gloria at RDC in the evening....waiting for the red giant flying squirrel. At last I saw it flying ...  Morning view at Kinabatangan river  In front of Gomantong Cave During my volunteering time at BSBCC, I managed to make a 2 day one night trip to Kinabatangan river and Gomantong cave on my day off, to see the wildlife and back to nature.
Time flies my short period volunteering time at BSBCC end quickly...I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Mr Wong and his team members for having me at BSBCC. I hope I will come back again in the near future ... 22nd August 2016. Borneo Post. 22nd August 2016. Utusan Borneo. The BSBCC education team were on the road again to visit schools in theKinabatangan and Lahad Datu district. In August 2016, BSBCC education team visited a total of 8 schools. Three schools that were visited in the Kinabatangan district, were within the oil palm estates. It was an eye opening experience for the BSBCC team to drive through several oil palm estates and meet the children and teachers living within the area. The students were very happy and interactive during the talk and were keen to learn more about sun bears when they visit our booth. Many of the kids had never heard about sun bears, gibbons, otters or many of the other animals in our forest. Wildboars, civets, monitor lizards and pythons are more common within their area. Our visits were welcomed by all schools and estate owners. It was a great opportunity for the BSBCC to visit them and the teams are looking forward to visiting these schools again. The following 5 schools visited were primary schools located in the coastal town of Lahad Datu, eastern part of Sabah.  Learning session with the school kids in SK Ladang Sungai Bendera. We would like to thank our partners HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme and Sabah Wildlife Department for being a great team in raising awareness and educating the public and about wildlife conservation. Table 1: List of schools visited in August 2016.   Group Photo session with teachers and students from SK Lahad Datu IV. Text by Fetysella Olyndra Juli Photos by Chiew Lin May Everyone of these three bears has their own history, especially Simone and Along, both of them were kept in a Mini Zoo Hot Springs in Tawau while Kudat was kept on display in a private mini zoo with another female sun bear named Panda. Kudat was formerly named after the district of Kudat even though he originally is from Tawau. Along is a 6 year old male bear, Simone is a 8 year old female bear, and Kudat is 7 years old adult male sun bear. Kudat, Simone and Along were then surrendered by the Sabah Wildlife Department to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Upon arrival at the BSBCC, the three bears showed their different personalities, where Along is considered to be more energetic and hyperactive, Simone is calm while, Kudat on the other side can sometimes be aggressive towards other bears, as has happened in the past when integrated with another female sun bear Panda. But Kudat is also playful even though he plays rough. Since all three bears are kept in the same row of cages, at first, we integrated Along and Simone. Along becomes somewhat hyperactive when meeting with Simone and at times he will start to pace back and forth at a fast rate when Simone is in the same room.  Along tries to approach Simone, but Simone is aware of Along behavior During the integration process interactions between Along and Simone became more and more aggressive, so the decision was made, to slow down the integration intervals. After possible times of no aggression Simone tries to play with Along, which will result in likelihood of Along developing aggressiveness towards Simone due to her manor of play. Sometimes Simone will be the aggressor and we realized that, as Along pacing can not be interrupted as long as Simone is in the same cage. The occurrence of any kind of aggression therefore is unpredictable.  “Hey, look at my canine”-Along “Here’s mine RAWWR”-Simone  “This is how I play” *bite*-Simone “Hey you. It’s too rough”-Along Then, we decided to integrate Simone with Kudat. The first results of the integration process were positive, both bears played together, even though Kudat play very known to be rough. The first time Kudat met Simone, he started to sniff Simone first especially her sex organs. Realizing that Simone is a female sun bear, Kudat became excited and begin to play with her. We have been having integration sessions for a few days and so far no aggression occurred.  Kudat meet Simone for the first time “Hmm? Hey there, who are you?”-Kudat “OH!!! There’s another bear here?”-Simone Then, we proceeded on to our next mission, which was the integration of Kudat and Along. First we were quite concerned, because both are male sun bears, and aggressive behavior is more likely to happen. Surprisingly, both Along and Kudat got along well, Kudat approached Along and sniffed him out first. Then, Kudat try to play with Along. Along struggled at first a bit, because of Kudat rough play. However, after some time, Along got used to it. After a few days of integration sessions between Along and Kudat, no aggression occurred.  Along and Kudat meet for the first time. “Hey there buddy. Let’s play” *show canine*-Kudat  Along tries to show Kudat that he also can play rough. “You’re a tough cookie”-Kudat  Along is playing by pushing Kudat down Now, our final task is to introduce Simone into the group. First, we placed Along and Kudat in the same cage. Then, we opened Simones cage to get access to the males. At first, when Simone entered the cage (where Along and Kudat were playing), she did not pay attention, she just passed by. But we realized that even with Simone present, Along did not start to pace and continued to play with Kudat. Once he stop playing with Kudat, Along showed positive results towards both Simone and Kudat. This process continued for quite some time and there was aggression noticed. It seems that the presence of Kudat affects the situation between Along and Simone, but when we fed the bears coconuts during their integration session, Simone showed to be the dominant in the group. This may be due to Simone being the oldest in the group. In the end, we hope that, these three bears can continue to integrate well and can go out to forest enclosure together in the future.
Dr. Thomas Lovejoy On the 22nd July 2016, we were very honored to have Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, a renown conservation biologist visit our Centre. Dr. Lovejoy is also known as the “Godfather of Biodiversity”. He coined the term “biodiversity” from the phrase "biological diversity" in 1980. Dr. Lovejoy was accompanied by The United States Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental Scientific Affairs (OES), Office of Science and Technology Cooperation (STC), bilateral division chief Beverli Dewalt and United States Embassy in Malaysia Environment, Science, Technology and Health Officer, Todd Hannah. Wong, BSBCC's Founder and CEO guided them for a tour around the Centre. Dr. Lovejoy is also the author of the book Ecology, Conservation and Management of Southeast Asian Rainforests published in 1995.  Wong presenting a gift to Dr. Lovejoy at during his visit. Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia We were honored to have the Deputy High Commissioner of Australia, Dr. Angela Macdonald and delegates visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) on 14th August 2016.  Wong presenting a gift to Dr. Angela Macdonald. Text by Seng Yen Wah Photos by Chiew Lin May  Tan-Tan was bought by a person with the purpose of rescuing her from being sold in the remote region of Paitan. After the person bought Tan-Tan, he informed the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit sent her to BSBCC on August 5th, 2015. On the other hand, Boboi and Kitud were kept together in a cage before they were handed over to the Sabah Wildlife Department in Singgaron Village, Ranau district. They were originally from Pitas, Sabah and only arrived at BSBCC on October 30th, 2015.
Boboi, Kitud and Tan-Tan stayed together in quarantine. Boboi is like a big brother that always backs up Kitud and Tan-Tan. Tan-Tan is the little one. She likes to follow behind Kitud so that she can get more comfort. If Boboi and Kitud are not around her, she will seek for them. Kitud is dominant, even though her size is not as big as Boboi. But, she always leads them to take an adventure with her. After the health check, they were moved from quarantine to the bear house. This was the time for them to meet the sub-adult group. |
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