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Video by Chiew Lin May Sun bears climb trees to forage for food, rest or protect themselves from predators. Ah Bui is an arboreal bear. You may wonder what is it that makes Ah Bui such a good climber?
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Text by Emily Tan Yu En Photo by Chiew Lin May On January 18th 2015, Montom was rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Rescue Unit from Kampung Melangkap, Kota Marudu and sent him to BSBCC on 21st of January, 2015. The story reported to the Wildlife Rescue Unit was the owner’s dog chased away Montom’s mother and she left him behind. He was taken and kept as a pet for a year in a chicken wire mesh cage and fed with human food. The owner was willing to surrender Montom to the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit. We introduced Montom to the other sub-adult group and was pleased to see him get along well with all the bears. After a few years, Montom is no longer a sub-adult bear so we’re going to let him join the adult bear group and let other sub-adult bears to join in his previous group. Montom was introduced to the adult bears which included Rungus, Ah Lun, Julaini, Ah Bui and Fulung. Montom was introduced one-by-one for the first six days as he will feel surprise and afraid if he meet all the bears at the same time. At first, Montom played well with all the bears but Rungus and Ah Bui didn’t really likes to play with him as they will stay on aside or rest on the enrichment in the buffer cage. Few days later, all the bears play along with him and they’re trying learn to understand each other better even though sometimes they play rough to each other. They play around and chase each other and no aggression found during the whole integration. Here are some photos during the integration of Montom with other adult bears. Integration Montom with Julaini and Ah Lun Integration Montom with Rungus and Fulung After all the integration, we let Montom join with the adult bear group to the enclosure .They will move around in the enclosure searching for food. Montom get to learn some surviving skills from the bears such as climbing, self-defence, digging and others. Text & Photos by Chiew Lin May  A sub adult, female sun bear was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) on 2nd May, 2012. She was named Ah Bui (Rescue No. 30), which means “friend” in local Murut language. Ah Bui came to the BSBCC on the 4th of May 2012, when she was two years old. She was originally from Sook village, Keningau. Ah Bui was kept by a person who almost sold her for the purpose of removing her gall bladder.  Sun bear Ah Bui who arrive at BSBCC on 4th May 2012 who rescued from sold as bear bile Imagine if we were late to rescue her, she would have become starved and wounded which would have caused terrible pain. Sun bears are hunted or killed in the wild to remove their gall bladder. Bear bile is used in traditional Asian medicine which can be useful for treating liver and gall bladder illnesses. Initial health checks showed her in good health with a weight of 25kg. One of the primary goals of BSBCC is to conserve sun bears through creating the capacity to rehabilitate and release suitable orphaned and ex-captive bears back into the wild. Ah Bui has been given a second chance to survive in the wild. BSBCC enables rescued sun bear to live their life peacefully with the best of care. After 30 days of quarantine, free from pain, vet care and nutrition care, she had adjusted very well to life at the centre.  It's a real pleasure to see her well adapted and enjoying herself in the new environment at bear house On 4th July 2012, Ah Bui finally met her first bear friend, Debbie. The close relationship formed among Ah Bui, Debbie and Fulung has lasted to this day.  She is saying hello to her bear pals!  Gentle loving Ah Bui play fight style!! Our rescued sun bears have access to the forest enclosure where they have tall trees to climb, a pool to cool off in, and iron wood to nap on. But when the rescued bears have stayed in a tiny cage for many years where they lost the chance to experience simple things from the natural world, it can be challenging for them to step out to the forest.  What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another. -Mahatma Gandhi It requires considerable time and expense to restore the wild behavior of sun bears that have been victims of the illegal pet trade. On 11th June 2013, Ah Bui and her friends took a huge step out to the door for her first glimpse of tall trees and to sniff the air! Slowly, she started with digging and turning dead wood to look for termites.  Something never, ever, experienced before. Tall trees!!  Thank you for the years of love, freedom and happiness!  Ah Bui loves digging soil and keep her busy all the time Ah Bui and her friends are well suited to their environment. Her short hair allows her to survive in the tropical forest. She enthusiastically destroys anything.  Ah Bui exploring its habitat. She loved every bit of it!  She is exciting experience of getting to know the real tropical rainforest!  She was too thrilled with her extra treat- Termites!  Slurp up all the termites! Sometimes she appears to be basking in the sun on a fallen decayed tree, absorbing the warmth of the sun’s rays. She is more than happy to lay around. She learns many of the forest skills that she would have naturally learned from her mother.  She loves to sleep in the warm sun  She adapting really well to her new environment  Time to take nap!!  Ah Bui feels more comfortable taking a snooze in this beautiful forest Ah Bui is a skillful climber, aided by long sickle-shaped claws that help her climb to the top of the tree canopy. She now very much enjoys climbing trees and has gained a lot of confidence and independence! She has been recorded to climb over to other forest enclosures through the trees five times!  Ah Bui is so arboreal bear. In the forest, she spend a lot of her time tearing tree bark to get honey, resting and sleeping on tree canopy  Ah Bui have long and curved sharp claws that help her in climb trees and scrape off tree barks for grubs!  Climb into the tree canopy! Ah Bui climbing a 15 meters tree.  Tree climbing Ah Bui  Sun bear plays a vital role in seed dispersal, forest doctor and forest engineer in maintaining the health of the forest ecosystem Ah Bui also loves to climb high up and build a prefect sleeping nest.  Beautiful tree nest build by Ah Bui on 10 metres high! She just broke the branches and turned in into a nest She is learning and experiencing that life can be great! She is well enough to go outside and enjoy every minute of every day. She enjoys the sheer pleasure of being alive.  How much I love forest and play wrestle with my favourite friends!  Free access to swimming at pool! She is SO HAPPY with the freedom  Forage together!!  Aww...cheesy in my favourite dead log  Time to take nap!!  Sharing bear chat time with Debbie!  The best kind of breakfast!  Time to take nap!!  Ah Bui have a beautiful symmetrical chest mark which looks more like a necklace  She is beautiful bright bear what a big happy smile!  When Ah Bui taking nap time, she loves to put some small pillow (pile millipede, leaves or branches) on her belly!!  When Ah Bui taking nap time, she loves to put some small pillow (pile millipede, leaves or branches) on her belly!!  When Ah Bui taking nap time, she loves to put some small pillow (pile millipede, leaves or branches) on her belly!! We can ensure that Ah Bui is ready for reintroduction. Ah Bui is healthy and she has developed her survival skills and wild behavior to equip her for life in the forest. It is always great to see our rescued sun bears back in the forest where they belong.  Learning the forest skills to prepare return to the forest where I belongs  Living independent in the forest and ready to e released into the wild Please share the love. The rescued sun bears need to and deserve to live a wild bear life as any bear does.  Cheers up! Help save our forest home!  Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May  Montom (Left) and Susie (Right) In August BSBCC integrated Montom (a three year old, sub-adult male bear) and Susie (a four year old, adult female bear) into a new group with one adult, male sun bear (Fulung) and four adult, female sun bears (Mary, Debbie, Damai and Ah Bui). Montom showed positive interaction and easily adapted with his new friends. Montom and Fulung enjoyed epic wrestles together. They have spent a great deal of time sniffing, chasing, and rolling on their backs in a very friendly way. Damai is the exception and has shown less interest in play. Montom is a very sociable bear, whereas Susie is an aggressive bear and has displayed stress due to emotional trauma which resulted from her being kept as a pet. For the rest of their weeks, they integrated well and began to understand each other better. Debbie is the dominant female bear in this large social group. Interaction between Montom, Susie with Ah Bui  Ready for integration with other new friends!  The older group was very curious about Montom and Susie. Interaction between Montom, Susie with Debbie  Interested sniffing from both before Montom put a friendly paw.  Debbie take a rest first after tired of play together all day long! Interaction between Montom, Susie with Fulung  Both of the bears was discovered a new friendship.  Montom fought back and he try to show that he has strength too! Interaction between Montom, Susie with Mary  There were pawing, wrestling and chasing in a friendly manner.  Finally the day came for Montom and Susie to feel the forest floor under their paws again. Although at the beginning it was a new environment for Montom and Susie with having to share the new enclosure with other bears, they are still adjusting themselves and getting along with their new mates. The whole group will be sharing one forest enclosure! It is hard to imagine that both of the bears ever thought their life could change. Susie is still aware surroundings and is having the time of her life. It has been a delight to watch Montom and Susie grow into happy and healthy bears.   Finally free! Montom and Susie will settle into their true home - Forest.  We are using method of combining diffrence treats with encouragement, Montom was the first one began stepped out to the forest followed by Susie.  Montom was curious with this outside door.  Susie was pricking up her ears and looking around alertly.  Montom has been goes outside whenever he desires to participate in whatever adventures lay outside the forest.  Montom has been goes outside whenever he desires to participate in whatever adventures lay outside the forest.  Montom has been goes outside whenever he desires to participate in whatever adventures lay outside the forest.  When Susie first entered BSBCC, she was filled with trauma and fear. Despite her painful early years, she has blossomed into a happy bear and acclimatize herself to new surroundings.  When Susie first entered BSBCC, she was filled with trauma and fear. Despite her painful early years, she has blossomed into a happy bear and acclimatize herself to new surroundings.  When Susie first entered BSBCC, she was filled with trauma and fear. Despite her painful early years, she has blossomed into a happy bear and acclimatize herself to new surroundings.  Montom and Susie spent most of thier time wandering about new forest, digging up termites and grubs and foraging, just like they would have in the wild.  Montom and Susie spent most of thier time wandering about new forest, digging up termites and grubs and foraging, just like they would have in the wild.  Montom and Susie spent most of thier time wandering about new forest, digging up termites and grubs and foraging, just like they would have in the wild.  Susie enjoys the freedom to live and explore the forest with companions.  For now they are sharing the forest enclosure with a three years old female adult sun bear, Damai. Thankfully Montom and Susie are growing stronger and are progressing well. Their natural ability gives hope to our team that in the future they will learn all the skills they need to return to their natural habitat. From being rescued to their time in quarantine to forming relationships with other bears to stepping out into the forest enclosure, giving Montom and Susie a new journey in life. Sun bear rehabilitation is a long process. It changes many sun bears’ lives. Thank you for supporting our work to help Montom, Susie and many orphaned sun bears. Let’s make second chances for them to be free sun bears in the wild.
Text by Jaike Bijleveld Photos by Chiew Lin May  Damai is a shy and sweet little girl of 2 years old who loves splashing herself with water. Besides the two sun bear cubs Loki and Sunbearo, she is the youngest sun bear in the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). When Damai was only 5 months old, she was found wandering at a car park before she was brought to the BSBCC.  Young Damai climbing around a big wooden log. In the first seven months or so, one of the bear care staffs showed her the jungle around the Sepilok Jungle, to get her familiar with the surroundings. To surprise of everybody, she started making a nest in a tree without a mother to show her how!
Text by Shelly Smith Photos by Chiew Lin May  First few moments of freedom for 10 sun bears just climbing and playing around the forest enclosure.  They are interact with the natural environment experiencing with different smells and sounds. Following up on the indoor integration of the Mary and Natalie groups, today we saw the culmination of the exercise – the whole group outside sharing one forest enclosure!
By regularly allowing the indoor socializing and ‘wrestling parties’ these bears so love, the bear house team ensured the two groups remained on friendly terms. Finally the time had come to test their ‘friendliness’ outdoors, where controlling a tense situation or fight would be impossible. A few of us entered the forest enclosure to scatter loads of fruit which would serve to distract from conflict, and fill tummies, hopefully creating a contented environment. Having only fed and observed from the feeding platform into this forest enclosure, I felt a little like being in someone’s home without their permission! Text by Shelly Smith Photos by Chiew Lin May  Good thing this is just play- fighting! As the BSBCC presently only has 3 outdoor pens large enough to accommodate several bears at the same time, some seriously strategic ‘bear shuffling’ has to occur in the bearhouse in order to get the right bears into the right cages for the outdoor exit ramps.
There are 2 existing groups that need to be integrated so they can occupy one outdoor pen instead of two, freeing up the second outdoor pen for Bermuda, a large mature male who is eagerly awaiting his outdoor sessions. The two groups are ‘matriarchal’. The’’ Mary’’ group consists of 6 sub adult bears – little Mary, Ah Bui, Debbie, Koko, Bongkud and young male Fulung. 2nd group is Natalie’s group of four, with Natalie, Ah Lun, Runggus and young male Julaini. Bear etiquette dictates that a polite introduction is by way of curiously sniffing through an interconnecting gateway - if no sign of aggression is seen, then the gateway is opened cautiously by the bear keeper, and one bear may proceed into the adjoining cage where the sniffing procedure progresses to a stage of playful paw inductions. Hereafter it is quite permissible to raucously cavort around the cage and wrestle in the hammock (or other enrichment provided) until one or both bears are completely exhausted. Suckling on a bear’s ears is a privilege for best friends only. Integration started on the 9th September by daily introducing one bear from Mary’s group to the Natalie group bears, one bear at a time over an hour or so. These introductions over the week went amazingly well with no hint of aggression as each bear learnt the smells, stature and behaviour of the others, in spite of two females being on heat during the process.  We were lucky enough to have 120 members of the Soka Gakai Malaysia group visit us this weekend. Members of the group were of all ages, from tiny youngsters to seniors, yet they all shared the same enthusiasm for learning about sun bears!  In three different groups of about 40 people, the SGM folks were guided along the forest path and out to the observation deck. Wong, Siew Te lead the happy pack and shared an informational sun bear talk with each group. There was plenty of action in the bear enclosures, as Fulung, Mary and Bongkud explored the treetops and displayed their fabulous climbing skills! Later, a curious orangutan came over to the observation deck to ‘sneak-a-peak’ at the second group, which led to a quick evacuation and an even more action-packed afternoon. Text by Chiew Lin May Photos by Chiew Lin May and Tee Thye Lim  Here are some photos of our sub – adult sun bears, out in the forest enclosure. They love to be by trees and will find activities to occupy their time that will keep them close to the canopy. These include looking for termites, other forest invertebrates, climbing trees, playing together and taking naps. They get on really well, and enjoy playing together. These six sun bears at the forest enclosure is buzzing with cheer and joy. Look what they are doing in the forest enclosure!!  Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May It is happy sight to see Mary, Debbie, Ah Bui, Koko, Fulung and Bongkud knew what to do when they went out into the enclosure with all of the trees. Here are some photos of our sub-adult sun bears, out in their forest enclosure. They are very awesome!! Look what Debbie doing in the forest enclosure!!   |
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