They're known as Asia's Sun Bears and they're listed as a vulnerable species. A group of Sunshine Coast Uni students who are studying communications have got behind their plight, by designing an adoption program for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
They'll travel to the Centre next month, but before then, you'll have an opportunity to find out more about this beautiful creature at a special movie night.
Sarah Pye is a public relations lecturer at the uni and she'll travel with her students to Borneo in early Feburary to see the Centre first-hand.  Christina Morris and Nerilyn Vetter are two of the students in her team.
Annie started by asking Sarah how the project first came to her attention.
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[audio mp3="http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/files/2014/01/borneo-sun-bears-web1.mp3"][/audio]

The Star Online, 20th January 2014
BY MUGUNTAN VANAR 

SANDAKAN: The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) opened its doors to the public in hope raising awareness on the iconic species and encourage research on the world’s smallest bear.
The centre, placed next to the world renowned Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, is equipped with key facilities including an observation platform, boardwalk and visitor centre.
Two bear houses that shelter 28 sun bears in their natural habitat would not be accessible to visitors at the centre that was officially opened on Thursday.
The centre is open daily from 9am to 3.30pm.
Fees are fixed at RM5 for Malaysians above the age of 17 years, and RM2 for citizens between the ages of 12 and 17.
The fee for non-Malaysians is RM30 (above 17 years old) and RM15 (12 to 17 years).
Admission is free for all children under the age of 12.

Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan, Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP) executive director and chief executive officer Cynthia Ong and BSBCC founder Wong Siew Te, jointly unveiled the centre’s logo at a soft opening attended by partners and donors.
The BSBCC, the first and only facility of its kind in the world, is a non-governmental organisation set up in 2008 through collaboration of the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Wildlife Department and LEAP.
Ong described the soft opening as a “landmark moment” acknowledging the support of many people all over the world and those who worked hard behind the scenes including at LEAP, to bring the centre to where it is today.
In his speech, Mannan said he had agreed to the idea of the centre when Ong met him six years ago to address the problem of bears being kept illegally in captivity, and space was then set aside for the purpose.
“I am impressed with what I have seen so far and my message is that we at the department have no monopoly over good ideas or resources.
“We appreciate the point of views that others have, as we do not know everything.
“We must also ensure that the sun bear habitats will be there in perpetuity. Failure to address this is why we have a centre now (to care for sun bears),” Mannan said.
Habitat loss and poaching for parts used in traditional medicine are among key threats that have led to a decline by at least 30% of its population in the last three decades.
Other threats include illegal capture for the pet trade and when they are killed when wrongly perceived as pests.
Found throughout mainland Asia, Sumatra in Indonesia and Borneo, the exact number of sun bears in the wild is unknown.
This makes it even more pressing to reduce pressure on a species that is classified as “vulnerable” on The IUCN Red List and at risk of becoming endangered unless circumstances threatening their survival improve.
Meanwhile, Ambu said the Wildlife Department will endeavour to increase enforcement efforts in clamping down on those who keep the species or trade its parts, stressing that no licences were issued for anyone to own sun bears except for the BSBCC and the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.
“Our department will also work tirelessly to ensure that sun bears can be released back to the wild, subject to their adaptation to the habitat.
“It is also our hope that this centre will facilitate and catalyse research on sun bears, and conduct outreach programmes to raise awareness on dangers of keeping this species in captivity,” Ambu said.
Sun bears are classified as a Totally Protected Species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, providing it the same status as the orang utan and sumatran rhinoceros.

Text by Genevie Gikun
Photos by Tee Thye Lim
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) founded by CEO Wong Siew Te has made history today by successfully holding a soft opening. The BSBCC is now officially open to the public. The ceremony was attended by Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan, Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr. Laurentius Ambu, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP) executive director and chief executive officer Cynthia Ong. The ceremony ran for 4 hours and each VIP had a chance to give some of their thoughts through speeches. Datuk Ambu said the centre will help to raise awareness about sun bears among the public and also increase enforcement efforts to ban all poaching activity of the sun bear as well as the illegal pet and body part trade. Meanwhile, Ms. Ong on her speech described the soft opening as a “landmark moment” and thanked all people who worked hard for the opening of the centre. Datuk Mannan on the other hand strongly agreed the opening of the centre is to care for the orphaned and confiscated sun bears. Mr. Wong in his speech stressed the importance of the sun bear and its forest habitat. He also mentioned that the long term focus of the centre would be research and rehabilitation. The centre will open daily from 9am to 3.30pm. Entry fees are fixed at RM2 and RM5 for Malaysians between the ages 12-17 and above the age of 17 respectively. The entry fees for non-Malaysians are RM15 and RM30 between the ages 12-17 and above the age of 17 respectively. Admission is free for all children under the age of 12 and senior citizen above the age of 55. The BSBCC soft opening ran smoothly and we are now looking forward to the grand opening that will be held in May this year.

New Straits Times,19th January 2014
By Avila Geraldine | avila@nst.com.my

RAISING AWARENESS: It's the world's only NGO-run facility


SANDAKAN: After six years of toying with the idea, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is now accessible to the public who want to get close to the world's smallest bear.

The opening of the centre is expected to raise awareness and encourage research on the endangered species.

It is learnt that the conservation centre, housing 28 sun bears is the only facility of its kind in the world run by a non-governmental organisation.
It was set up in 2008 through the collaboration of the Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Wildlife Department and Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP).

Located next to the world renowned Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, its key facilities include an observation platform, boardwalk and a visitors' centre.
However, the two houses, which provide a natural habitat for the sun bears, are not accessible to visitors.


BSBCC founder Wong Siew Te said in its effort to raise awareness, the centre had moved forward to let the people get a better view and understanding of sun bears.
​

"Now, we can educate the public on the importance of sun bears and the forest.
"Research and rehabilitation will come next as this is a long-term project, and here to stay."

Sun bears are classified as a totally protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, providing it the same status as the orang-utan and Sumatran rhinoceros.

Found throughout mainland Asia, Sumatra in Indonesia and Borneo, the exact number of sun bears in the wild is unknown.

This makes it even more pressing to reduce pressure on a species classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and at risk of becoming endangered.

Habitat loss and poaching for its parts for use in traditional medicine are among key threats that have led to a decline of by at least 30 per cent of its population in the last three decades.

Other threats include illegal capture for the pet trade and killed when wrongly perceived as pests.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said the department would endeavour to increase enforcement efforts in clamping down on those who keep the species as pets or trade its parts.

He stressed that no licence had been issued for anyone to own sun bears, except to the BSBCC and the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.

"Our department will also work tirelessly to ensure that sun bears can be released back into the wild, subject to their adaptation to the habitat.

"It is also our hope that this centre will facilitate research on sun bears and conduct outreach programmes to raise awareness on the dangers of keeping this species in captivity."

The centre is open daily from 9am to 3.30pm. Fees are RM5 for Malaysians above 17 and RM2 for citizens between 12 and 17.
​
The fee for foreigners is RM30 (above 17) and RM15 (between 12 to 17 years). Admission is free for children under 12.

KOTA KINABALU: The  Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) situated adjacent to the Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre would be open to visitors from Jan 16.


Sabah Wildlife director Dr Laurentius Ambu said the BSBCC was established to protect and conserve, as well as create awareness among the public on the species that had become endangered as a result of the activities of poachers.


He said the sun bear which is also called honey bear was gazetted as a protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997.


The centre located on a 2.5 ha site was set up in 2008 on the initiative of the department with the cooperation of non-governmental organisation, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP).


“It can accommodate up to 40 sun bears and there are presently 28, aged between one and a half years and 20 years. Seven of them are male,” he told reporters here today.


According to Laurentius, the department was in the process of resettling sun bears that had been surrendered by members of the public who had kept the animals as pets.


Meanwhile, BSBCC founder and CEO Wong Siew Te said the RM6 million centre was expected to be fully completed in May next year.


“Among the main sponsors in its construction were Sime Darby Foundation, Malaysian Tourism and Culture ministry and Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment ministry.


“The estimated annual expenditure to run the centre is RM900,000,” he said.


-Bernama
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The Borneo Post, 14th January 2014
By Bernama
KOTA KINABALU: Pusat Pemuliharaan Beruang Madu Borneo (BSBCC) yang terletak  bersebelahan  Pusat Pemulihan Orang Utan Sepilok di Sandakan akan dibuka kepada pengunjung mulai Khamis ini.
Pengarah Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu berkata antara lain orang ramai boleh melihat 28 ekor beruang madu di BSBCC, yang ditubuhkan untuk melindungi, memulihara serta memberi kesedaran dan pengetahuan berhubung hidupan liar itu yang terancam akibat aktiviti pemburu haram.


Katanya Beruang Madu diwartakan sebagai spesies dilindungi di bawah Enakmen Pemuliharaan Hidupan Liar Sabah 1997.
“Pusat ini menempatkan 28 ekor beruang madu, yang diserahkan orang awam, yang kini berumur antara satu tahun setengah hingga 20 tahun. Daripada jumlah itu, tujuh ekor adalah jantan dan bakinya betina,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini, semalam.


BSBCC yang berkeluasan 2.5 hektar, mempunyai beberapa kemudahan termasuk platform untuk memerhati, laluan pejalan kaki, dua rumah beruang, pusat pelawat, pejabat dan pusat informasi beruang madu.
Pada masa ini, BSBCC mampu menampung sehingga 40 ekor beruang dan Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah sedang berusaha menempatkan beruang-beruang yang diserahkan orang awam di pusat itu.


BSBCC ditubuhkan pada 2008 hasil kerjasama antara Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah, Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah dan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP).

Program angkat beruang madu dikenakan bayaran RM15,000 seekor setahun untuk sektor korporat dan RM300 seekor sebulan atau RM500 seekor bagi enam bulan untuk sektor awam.


Sementara itu, Pengasas dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif BSBCC Wong  Siew Te berkata pembinaan pusat itu, yang dijangka siap sepenuhnya pada Mei tahun depan, menelan belanja RM6 juta manakala penyelenggaraannya dianggarkan RM900,000 setahun.


“Antara penyumbang utama bagi pembinaan BSBCC ialah Yayasan Sime Darby, Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia (MOTAC), Kerajaan Negeri Sabah dan Kementerian Pelancongan, Kebudayaan dan Alam Sekitar  Sabah,” katanya.
Menurutnya pusat itu dapat membantu beruang madu yang kian hilang habitatnya dan diancam kepupusan akibat diburu bagi memenuhi permintaan dalam perniagaan perubatan tradisional atau dijadikan haiwan peliharaan.
Aktiviti pemburu haram beruang madu antara punca utama jumlah spesies itu merosot sekurang-kurangnya 30 peratus sejak tiga dekad lepas. — Bernama

Like a proud dad, Siew Te Wong's office walls and desk are covered in baby pictures, but unlike ordinary infants these possess four-inch claws and a taste for insects and honey. Wong, a leading sun bear researcher, has a heartfelt passion for the world's smallest bear that is as big as the problems facing the species.


The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) lives in south-east Asia, Sumatra and Borneo and was first listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN's "red list" of threatened species in 2007. Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, said in 2011 that the sun bear population was suspected to have declined by more than 30% in the past 30 years. Deforestation, uncontrolled exploitation for trade and illegal poaching were named as major causes.


Named sun-bear man by the local Malayan press, Wong is working hard to raise awareness of what he calls the "forgotten bears species". TheBornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, nestled next door to the Sepilok Orangutang sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysia, is set to be the first of its like in the world. Due to open to the public on 16 January, it will focus onanimal welfare, education, research and rehabilitation.


"We need the public, from all levels, to understand the importance of the rainforest," says Wong. "I think education is fundamental because sun bears are still lacking in terms of the conservation work and research. And a lot of that boils down to the fact that people do not know about the species, people do not care about the species."


WWF says that the global demand for palm oil has been a major driver in the level of deforestation seen in Indonesia, while Greenpeace warnsthat Indonesia is planning for another 4m hectares of pam oil plantations by 2015, in addition to the existing 6m.


When asked about palm oil, which is used in a variety of food products from margarine to biscuits, Wong sighs and says: "Yes, but again, who causes it? You and me. You know, we are responsible." He points to human population growth and the demand it creates for more resources and the destruction of habitat that, in turn, threatens wildlife.


Despite the species being protected by law for decades, Wong thinks more can be done to enforce wildlife law – the maximum penalty is five years in jail or 100,000 ringgit (almost £20,000) or both. "It's always considered not to be a priority," he explains, "so the law is rarely being enforced and sometimes people don't know that it's actually against the law."


He tells stories of encounters with villagers keeping sun bear cubs as pets; "oh, my grandfather used to have two bears, my father used to have one bear, why can I not have one bear?" and shocking use of the bear's paws for food, a dish he tells me that was once considered an Emperor's dish. "If you Google bear paw stew you can actually find recipes on the internet. They teach you how to cook bear paw stew, can you believe that?" he shakes his head incredulously. "It's crazy. Absolutely crazy."


Among the piles of reports on his desk, horror stories of bears squashed into tiny cages, being farmed for their bile, Wong picks up a picture of him in his younger years with a rescued sun bear cub after its mother was killed by poachers. "I just cannot turn a blind eye," he says, glancing at the image. "Even though the number may not be great, it has to be taken care of."

Sinar Harian, 13th January 2014
By Bernama
KOTA KINABALU - Pusat Pemuliharaan Beruang Madu Borneo (BSBCC) yang terletak  bersebelahan  Pusat Pemulihan Orang Utan Sepilok di Sandakan akan dibuka kepada pengunjung mulai Khamis ini.

Pengarah Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu berkata antara lain orang ramai boleh melihat 28 ekor Beruang Madu di BSBCC, yang ditubuhkan untuk melindungi, memulihara serta memberi kesedaran dan pengetahuan berhubung hidupan liar itu yang terancam akibat aktiviti pemburu haram.

Katanya Beruang Madu diwartakan sebagai spesies dilindungi di bawah Enakmen Pemuliharaan Hidupan Liar Sabah 1997.
"Pusat ini menempatkan 28 ekor Beruang Madu, yang diserahkan orang awam, yang kini berumur antara satu tahun setengah hingga 20 tahun. Daripada jumlah itu, tujuh ekor adalah jantan dan bakinya betina," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini.

BSBCC, yang berkeluasan 2.5 hektar, mempunyai beberapa kemudahan termasuk platform untuk memerhati, laluan pejalan kaki, dua buah rumah beruang, pusat pelawat, pejabat dan pusat informasi Beruang Madu.
Pada masa ini, BSBCC mampu menampung sehingga 40 ekor beruang dan Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah sedang berusaha menempatkan beruang-beruang yang diserahkan orang awam di pusat itu.

BSBCC ditubuhkan pada 2008 hasil kerjasama antara Jabatan Hidupan Liar Sabah, Jabatan Perhutanan Sabah dan badan bukan kerajaan, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP).

Program angkat Beruang Madu dikenakan bayaran RM15,000 seekor setahun untuk sektor korporat dan RM300 seekor sebulan atau RM500 seekor bagi enam bulan untuk sektor awam.

Sementara itu, Pengasas dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif BSBCC Wong  Siew Te berkata pembinaan pusat itu, yang dijangka siap sepenuhnya pada Mei tahun depan, menelang belanja RM6 juta manakala penyelenggaraannya dianggarkan RM900,000 setahun.

"Antara penyumbang utama bagi pembinaan BSBCC ialah Yayasan Sime Darby, Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Malaysia (MOTAC), Kerajaan Negeri dan Kementerian Pelancongan, Kebudayaan dan Alam Sekitar  Sabah,"katanya.

Menurutnya pusat itu dapat membantu Beruang Madu yang kian hilang habitatnya dan diancam kepupusan akibat diburu bagi memenuhi permintaan dalam perniagaan perubatan tradisional atau dijadikan haiwan peliharaan.
​

Aktiviti pemburu haram Beruang Madu antara punca utama jumlah spesies itu merosot sekurang-kurangnya 30 peratus sejak tiga dekad lepas. - Bernama

Thick grey clouds envelop the plane as the pilot’s voice breaks through on the speaker announcing the imminent landing of the passenger aircraft in Tawau town in eastern Malaysia.
​

After a few minutes of descent the cloud clears, revealing the state of Sabah’s lush green mountains, valleys and plains thick with vegetation. But there are also milky brown rivers that snake and cut through the verdant scenery.
As the plane continues its descent, another flaw in the panorama is revealed: the thick green vegetation is not a forest, but acres and acres of palm oil trees. The oil is Sabah’s main agricultural crop, growing on an estimated 1.43 million hectares of land or 20 per cent of the state’s total land area.


Conservationists say the massive conversion of low-lying land into palm-oil plantations as well as unabated logging in the mountains, where land is also being turned over to agriculture, may lead to the extinction of some of Borneo’s animals and plants.
The Bornean wilderness is considered one of the oldest tropical forests in the world.


Data from the state’s forestry department shows Sabah’s forest cover at about 3.59 million hectares.
But only 910,914 hectares of that is considered virgin forest. A total of 2.68 million hectares has been classified as commercial forest, meaning it has been allocated for logging.


John Payne, an expert on the Bornean rhinoceros and executive director of conservation group Borneo Rhino Alliance, said the destruction of the North Borneo forests started way back in the 1880s when British colonisers started felling trees for timber.
“Unfortunately, we lost much of the forests and the animals and plants living in it,” he said.

Among the most endangered animal living in the Sabah forests is the rhinoceros, the smallest kind of rhino that has ever existed.


Payne estimated about 15 Bornean rhinoceros were roaming the Sabah forests “But it could be less,” he said, adding that for the past two years, despite intensive tracking, his team had found signs of only two of these mammals in the forests.


Malaysia has three specimens in captivity. One is at an advanced age in a zoo in Sabah’s capital of Kota Kinabalu. A mating pair is at a sanctuary managed and operated by Payne’s group in the hope of breeding the animals in captivity, but the female has borne no young.


Another group of animals in trouble as the Bornean forests dwindle are rare pygmy elephants that are only found in Borneo.


In November 2013, the Sabah state government set up a sanctuary for these pachyderms in badly degraded forests along the Kinabatangan river which is an important part of the habitat of these elephants.


Earlier this year, 19 pygmy elephants were found dead in the same area, apparently as a result of poisoning.


The World Wildlife Fund says the orang-utan, Asia’s only great ape and found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, is also becoming a vulnerable species due to loss of its habitat.


The global conservation group said that the population of the so-called “man of the forests” in Sabah dropped to an estimated 11,000 in 2004 from 20,000 in the mid 1980s.


“This decline in their numbers in the last twenty years was caused by planned conversion of forests to plantations in the eastern lowlands,” WWF said in a report.


Siew Te Wong, chief executive officer of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center, said the cuddly bears are another species considered threatened as the Bornean forests shrink.


“The sun bear is a forest-dependent species,” he said. “The amount of forest available reflects the amount of habitat they have and over the last 50 years if you look at the whole forested area across South-East Asia, the forested area is declining. “So when the forest is gone, the bear will be as well.”


Sabah forestry director Sam Mannan said the government is determined to increase the proportion of forest cover to the total land area.


He said since the start of the year, his office has stopped issuing short-term logging licences in a bid to reduce the pace of timber harvesting from natural forests.


“Our long-term plan is to create 2 million hectares of protected areas, or 30 per cent of Sabah’s landmass,” he said.