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It was the first time for BSBCC education team to organize and join an educational outreach programme at Tawau and Semporna area. Starting from 7th August until 12th August 2017, there were six schools (primary and secondary) targeted for this programme. This event was also accompanied by our partners from the Sabah Wildlife Department - Tawau district, HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Programme (KOCP), Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC). As part of our mission to promote the wildlife conservation by teaching young children about the beauty and value of our wildlife, various activities were conducted for the students such as exhibitions, wildlife talks, documentary screening, colouring activity and environmental games. Hopefully with this kind of awareness programme, young kids would be more eager to learn more about our wildlife and in future, contribute to any conservation work.   Ice breaking: students need to work together in a team in order to put down the stick using one finger  Students and teachers at the Sabah Wildlife Department booth.  Ms. Nurasyikin from Green Semporna presenting her talk.    Clarice from Danau Girang Field Centre also participated in our programme   QnA session by Suhairing, ranger from the Wildlife Rescue Unit  Norzeela from Hutan-KOCP presented a talk about orang utan    Text by Syaqil Suhaimi Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah One of the requirements of volunteering at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is that one would be required to write a blog entry on their experience during the program. I am tasked to write down about the numerous enrichment activities I took part in during my period of volunteering here. First of all, enrichment activities are defined as anything that would encourage the natural behaviour of sun bears which is essential for survival in the wild. Also, it is to decrease the sun bears’ stress levels and abnormal behaviour such as pacing and finally, it’s supposed to provide them with mental stimulation in the form of new challenges. On top of that, enrichment may be divided into short term and long term, whereby short-term enrichment are those that may last at maximum, up to a day, as the bear would have destroyed the structure built, or in most cases, eaten the food-related enrichment. One of the activities I took part in was to make a ‘burger carton’ which is basically old egg cartons cut up and folded into burgers with ginger leaves spread with peanut butter/honey as the ‘patty’. This enrichment is one that is short term as it is very easy for the bear to destroy it and most importantly, it is food-related as sun bears love to munch on the ginger leaves (especially if it is smothered in honey or peanut butter!) Here, not only would the sun bears learn to hone their sense of smell, but they would need to use their claws in ripping apart the carton, which in this case is child’s play. Secondly, I got to install a hammock with the help of another volunteer, Georgia and my Buddy, Roger (he can be seen in the following picture). For your information, the hammock was made by a previous bunch of volunteers from Air Asia, out of old firehoses, so we had the pleasure of installing the structure for them. Installing it was actually challenging as we had to tie four corners of the structure at the top of the bear cage, which involved climbing up a ladder and this was an issue for me, albeit a minor one, as I have a fear of heights. Also, the fact that we had to lock each corner of the hammock with nuts and bolts from at an elevation added to the difficulty of the task as one of us would have to stand on a ledge in the cage – one wrong step and one of us could have hurt ourselves. Luckily for us though, we had an experienced Buddy in Roger who constantly monitored us so everything went smooth. As for this enrichment, it encourages the bears to climb and rest or even sleep on the hammock. Such a behaviour mimics wild sun bear habits as it is a norm for them to climb up trees and build their nests in forest canopies. This is considered a long term enrichment as not only would it be difficult for the sun bears to damage the structure, they would mostly likely use it for sleeping, as the structure is not too dissimilar from a sun bear nest on top of a tree. As for the final enrichment, Roger and I decided to build a bear cot. The name is pretty self-explanatory – imagine a baby cot, but for bears. We decided to build a bear cot because it’s not an enrichment that has been thought off before and we felt that it would be comfortable and snug for the bears. Nonetheless, as fun as the enrichment sounds (trust me when I say that the building part was anything but fun), it does serve several important purposes in that it would allow the sun bears to mimic their natural behaviour in the wild. First and foremost, to the bear, the cot may function as a log in which the bear could take refuge in. Large hollow logs are also food sources for sun bears so what we would do is to place some dog biscuits on the cot and smother it with dry leaves so that that the bears would ‘forage’ for the food. Next, once placed upside down (or even sideways), the bear cot could be used as a bunk bed instead whereby one bear would be able to rest inside the ‘hollow log’ and another bear could rest on top of it – such a behaviour would enhance the integration between two or more sun bears. Once the bear cot was completed, we decided to place it in Chin’s cage as we felt that she’s behaved really well since I started volunteering here (besides being absolutely adorable) but mostly because she hasn’t had any enrichment in her cage. Next, as mentioned earlier, dog biscuits were placed on the bear cot before it was smothered with dry leaves, after which we filled the rest of the cage with dry leaves as well. At first, Chin seemed apprehensive about the cage, but once she found out where the dog biscuits were she entered the cot and started foraging through the dry leaves. Roger and I were pretty nervous about her wanting to enter the cot in the first place so this sign was very promising. After about 10 minutes she started climbing around the cot instead of resting in it which I found very peculiar and adorable at the same time. Nonetheless, it did show that she was stimulated and that the cot made her active and very curious! After about another 5 minutes, she got more confident to the point where she sat in the cot, as evident in the picture below. My heart was filled with delight to have observed this and at that point I thought that this was a job well done and that this was all worth it. All in all, the experience gained from enrichment activities has helped me to build a new interest. Well, at least, it’s something I would want to upkeep in the future – carpentry. Honestly, building the bear cot was very challenging for me in that I felt lost frequently. But with the help of Roger and other Buddies such as Brandon and Nizam, especially by observing them, I gained confidence in going about with the structure to the point where I found myself working on it alone at times! Not only would it be a productive past time, I definitely consider it a life skill which I find valuable.
Text by Ng Li Shuen Photos by Ng Li Shuen and Seng Yen Wah Hi everybody! My name Ng Li Shuen, 21, studying Environmental Science at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Malaysia. One month of volunteering at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre has been a valuable and unforgettable experience. I was first introduced to BSBCC by my friend/course mate Darren who encouraged me to apply as a volunteer and as a companion for him during our summer break. We also attended the Wild Wildlife with Kancil and Friends event held by Malaysian Heritage and History Club (MHHC), where we got to meet and talk to Dr. Wong for the first time. Malaysia being one of the megadiverse countries in the world is losing its wildlife and biodiversity, thus learning about conservation and working with wildlife has never been a more crucial and timely task. In the hopes of uncovering how conservation work is done in our country and exploring my potential career path, I applied for BSBCC and anticipated the adventure that awaited me. It wasn’t long before I was working in the heart of conservation and it was a thrilling experience. Upon arriving at the Bear House, I met my buddy Brandon who briefed me thoroughly on the operations of the Bear House and guided me through all the tasks. Day by day, we worked alongside other bear keepers (collectively known as Bear Care Team) with a daily routine of cleaning cages, kitchen work (E.g. preparing porridge, fruits and vegetables, and other dietary needs), feeding the bears inside the Bear House and in the forest enclosure, fence checking and making enrichment for the bears. I also got to work under the Environmental Education unit where I’m tasked to interact with visitors at the centre’s observation platform, educate and raise awareness on sun bear ecology and the importance of not only their conservation but also of their forest habitat.  Outdoor feeding at Pen C. Once the bears have passed the electrical fence training, they are reintroduced into the forest enclosure where they have plenty of space to roam.  Feeding time  Me, Darren and peanut butter-filled fire hose.  Making egg carton enrichment!  Sawing belian wood for Nano and Noah’s bear house. It's hard work but hey, how often do we get the chance of using a saw?  Cutting banana leaves~ As all volunteers are required to build a special enrichment for the bears, I designed a structural + food enrichment called The Heavenly Bear Tree for Phin, a 9-year old adult male sun bear’s enclosure. Enrichment functions to emulate conditions of the natural environment and bring out the bear’s wild instincts, it also helps reduce the time spent on unhealthy behaviours like pacing. Because some bears have yet to reach the criteria to be reintroduced into the forest enclosure, enrichments are important in the rehabilitation process especially for bears who spend a lot of their time in their dens. So, I thought why not make a tree in its den? This enrichment aims to encourage movement and climbing and enhance the bear’s sensory stimulus (E.g. using their tongue, claws and scent). Though I hoped Phin would climb the log, he climbed on the grills instead to get to the banana-filled fire hoses. My guess is that Phin probably doesn’t yet understand the function of the “tree” since he is still undergoing fence training (or maybe this tree is simply un-climbable XD) Nevertheless, it did make Phin climb all over the cage to get all the juicy bananas.  Here's me setting up Phin’s enrichment. Tying fire hoses filled with bananas and peanut butter through holes drilled across the log.  Climbing on top of the cage with Mizuno to secure the log. How exciting!  Darren (Bottom left), Andy (Top left) and Mizuno (Bottom right) were there to help. Ginger leaves were added to bring life to the tree (and of course, to get in the way of the bear)  Roar!  Voila, The Heavenly Bear Tree is completed~ Doesn’t it look heavenly hehe  Phin got excited when he smelled the enrichment from the adjacent cage. He finally got his treat. Though some tasks were physically challenging for me at first, I felt myself grew stronger every day as the weeks passed. Believe me or not, I even have muscles (small ones la haha!) now from scrubbing cages, scooping porridges, lifting fruit baskets, sawing logs and woods, walking around the forest enclosure xP But if I were to be completely honest, doing all the physical work was so much fun and fulfilling. Challenging and proving myself wrong about my strength was what fueled me to keep going. And I must thank all the staffs, especially buddy Brandon for being so kind and understanding towards my physique and always lending a hand when I needed it!  During my free time, I like to walk around the bear houses to observe and admire the bears and recognize them. Brandon was always there to help me recognize special features like their chest marks, facial appearance, and behaviours. One day after work, I walked around bear house 2 to refill the water containers just to make sure the bears have enough water to drink over the night. The minute Linggam’s water container was filled, he stood up and started splashing the water onto his body and occasionally looking into my eyes and sniffed as if to acknowledge and say thank you! Something about this had me in awe that I left the water running for him as he continued to splash for a good 5 minutes. From then on, I grew fond of Linggam and so did the obligation to fill all the water containers in bear house 2! It feels good seeing the bears healthy and thriving in the centre. If it wasn’t for BSBCC, I can’t imagine countless sun bears being held captive and have lost their ability to survive in the wild. But what really made my whole volunteer experience worthwhile was how amazing the people here are. Everyone had been friendly, welcoming and caring since I first arrived. The staffs welcomed any questions we had and did not stinge on sharing their knowledge, experience and stories of the bears. And not forgetting my days in Bjorn Hala! From sweating through multiple power cuts to cooking and showering in the dark, feet chewed by the overly affectionate and adorable Miko, I did not even miss home. I sincerely thank the staffs for being so kind to us and treating us like family. Thank you for making Bjorn Hala such a homely place, I really felt a sense of belonging when I was here. No matter in the Bear House or Bjorn Hala, I will never forget the conversations, the jokes, laughter and stories we shared. Of course, not forgetting Darren who walked this one-month journey with me 😊  Miko in Bjorn Hala <3 And last but not least, or should I say, leaving the best for last! Thank you, Dr. Wong, for giving us this wonderful opportunity to be part of BSBCC. It has been an honour and privilege serving the bears and working alongside an amazing crew in a Bornean rainforest and engaging in meaningful discussions with you during our Q&A sessions! Despite being so busy, you never neglected us and took pride in having volunteers as part of your centre’s conservation efforts! The story of your journey and endeavor is truly inspirational and will always remind me that it takes not only passion but also determination and hard work to make your dreams become your vision and mission.  Picture with the incredible founder Dr. Wong Siew Te aka Papa Bear, Wira Negaraku (My country’s hero), CNN Hero 2017  I was also luckily enough to be interviewed by CNN Only after volunteering at BSBCC had I known the existence of this beautiful bear species in our country, only after volunteering in BSBCC had I known that world’s only conservation centre for the world’s smallest bear species is proudly situated here in Sabah, Malaysia. Only after volunteering in BSBCC had I met the most genuine, passionate and dedicated people that go out of their way to care for the bears and rehabilitate them back into the wild. Only after volunteering in BSBCC that I realized.. I really need to improve my Malay speaking. The main ingredients of successful conservation work, I’d say? A passionate founder and leader like Dr. Wong, a dedicated crew and a handful of curious and inspired volunteers/interns. Thank you again for opening my eyes to the world of conservation, for exposing me to the Sabahan slang and culture, for generously sharing your stories and experiences, for introducing the knowledge and insights on what it takes to conserve our Malaysian Biodiversity.  With them crew  You wanna work for the bear, you gotta be the bear! Top row: Chee Yoong (Left), Athira (Middle), Batrisyia (Right). Bottom row: Syaqil (Right), Me (Middle), Darren (Right)  Azzry rewarding me Linggam’s tag :D   Sun bears are currently facing the threats of deforestation, poaching and illegal pet trade. They are deemed the least studied bear but BSBCC is slowly changing that. I hope more and more people start to cherish our biodiversity and become part of what protects them. I strongly encourage anyone to volunteer at BSBCC because why not for an experience of a lifetime for a good cause! Ending my story with a flashback and a quote that is now engraved in my heart.. In one of my last sessions with Dr. Wong, to answer a question asked by one of the volunteers he turned around to his magnificent bookshelf where he stores his treasured sea of knowledge, picked a book- Jane Goodall: 40 Years at Gombe, and recited: “Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall they be saved.”  It has been an incredible journey. Until then BSBCC <3 Love,
Li Shuen Today, 2nd August 2017, a MOU between the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), the Borneo Ecotourism, Solutions and Technology Society (BEST) and Dolphin Discovery Centre (base in Australia) has been signed. This MOU is a 5 years agreement between the organizations where they have agreed to work together to develop and improve international tourism relations. We look forward to work with BEST and Dolphin Discovery Centre for the next 5 years.   Dr. Wong Siew Te, the Founder and CEO of BSBCC deliver a presentation before the MOU signing  MOU signing between BSBCC, Dolphin Discovery Centre and BEST.   Token of appreciation from BSBCC to Mr. Albert Teo, the chairman of Borneo Ecotourism, Solutions and Technology Society (BEST)  Token of appreciation from BSBCC to Mr. Rod Kroon, the chairman of Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Inc.  Token of appreciation from Dolphin Discovery Centre to BSBCC  Token of appreciation from BSBCC to Mr. Mark Exeter from the South West Development Commission Australia.   After the presentation and MOU signing, they had a tour to the bears observation platform  After the presentation and MOU signing, they had a tour to the bears observation platform  The Star Online, 1st August 2017 by Ruben Sario http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/08/01/eyes-of-the-world-on-sun-bears-hero/    Coconut KL, 1st August 2017 https://coconuts.co/kl/news/malaysian-sun-bear-scientist-becomes-object-cnn-affection/     |
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