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Text & Photos by Seng Yen Wah Four years ago, the 57th bear to be rescued, Logan,arrived at the BSBCC. Logan was found at Lokan River, Kulu-Kulu Village, Sandakan, Sabah. During the rescue operation, the first thing that caught our eyes was his missing thumb and deformed front paw. His innocent eyes captured our heart immediately. He was just four months old. The owner reported that Logan used to stay with his mother on the estate. However, one day,his mother left him behind when they were crossing a river. The owner realized that Logan was injured. His front paw was hairless and covered in maggots. The owner took Logan and kept him till he recovered from the maggot wounds. On the 19th of May, 2018, Logan was surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and sent to the BSBCC on the same day.  Logan is one of the bear cubs that concerned us the most. We always worried that his deformed paw may affect him as an adult in the forest as the sun bear's sickled, hard and sharp claws are an essential tool for climbing. Moreover, climbing is one of the bear's essential forest skills. However, sad to say, we found Logan had difficulty in climbing. But he shows us that he is a brave and robust bear.He always keeps trying. Even though he gets tired quickly and sometimes falls, he still enjoys every opportunity he gets to climb. Now, he is an expert climber.He may not climb as high as other bears, but he still likes to spend his time in the trees. He likes to rest on the trees and see the different views of the forests.  Climbing is a challenge for Logan. But, Logan does it well.  The forest is so beautiful. Logan is a playful and active bear. He is the one who initiates play fights most of the time. Logan mixes easily with other bears. He loves to venture into the forest with his bear pals. Although sometimes others reject Logan's invitation to play fight, he still stays beside them. He is a carefree bear and withstands other’s temper and attitude. He is always kinds to others.  “Wake up! Noah, Wake up! Let’s play!” - Logan  “I’m ready to have fun!” - Logan  Logan and Joe are going to snack hunting!  Enjoy the water spa with Romolina. When Logan is alone, he has no worries. He knows how to enjoy his own way.  Play with twigs.  A good day to sunbathe  Close his eyes and listen to the rhythm of the forest  Sleeping like a baby Logan loves food and is not fussy about food. Whilst in the forest in the afternoons he is always busy looking snacks of small invertebrates , such as termites, ants, and pill millipedes. We are happy to see his mouth is full, and his belly is round. Although now he has become chubby!!  "No! You can't get the carrot from me!" - Logan  Enjoy my meal  Happiness is a full belly! Logan has taught us a lot. Never give up! If you persist, miracles await you. After four years of rehabilitation at the BSBCC, Logan has grown and become the bravest bear that you have ever seen! He is still learning and improving every day. We have high hopes that he will return to the forest and become wild someday. Logan definitely deserves a second chance and a better life! 
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Video by Chiew Lin May Happy Sunday everyone! Integration is an important process in rehabilitation as they learn the sun bear behaviours from one another. Logan starts the day play wrestle with Romolina first before adventure further out to the forest. Logan has known as the most friendly sun bear at the BSBCC. They both are pawing, pushing, rolling, hugging and being fun –more than anything! ENJOY! Video by Chiew Lin May Save sun bear. Save the Forest Ecosystem. The little things in bear life that give us so much joy and love. Let's learn the important ecological roles of sun bears in the forest ecosystem. Video by Chiew Lin May "Sniffing out honey bee nests, Digging for termites, Climbing on favourite trees, Develop my survival skills!" - Logan, the Sun bear Stay Safe . Stay home . Stay healthy A sanctuary and refuge for rescued orphans to grow up wild, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre has big hopes for the world’s smallest bear. ONE SUNNY DAY In a tropical rainforest in Borneo, bear keeper Jeniur “Boboy” Justin is standing on a watching platform 20m above the dense forest floor. He is observing Logan, a young male sun bear who’s busy trying to crack open a coconut. Logan’s claws and powerful jaw make short work of the tough shell, and after a refreshing drink, Logan lays on his back for an afternoon siesta. “Logan loves to eat, he will steal other bears’ food. He has become chubby, ” says Boboy with a laugh. Logan and his keeper, Boboy are in the forested area of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan, a district in Sabah, East Malaysia. The only centre in the world solely dedicated to the conservation of the sun bear. This has been a refuge for Logan since he was rescued in 2018 as a young cub. “When Logan first arrived, I could see that he was scared. We found that his left paw had a problem. It got injured in a poacher’s snare,” says Boboy. Being a young cub without his mother, and with an injured paw, Logan was in need of critical care, and it was Boboy who took on the responsibility of looking after him. “It’s not easy being a surrogate to Logan,” Boboy reflects. “There are a lot of things we need to know, like how bears, especially babies, can survive in the jungle, how we should teach them to be wild.” It took months of dedicated care from Boboy for Logan to become confident and capable of fending for himself.  Photo from BSBCC A DARK CLOUD Logan’s plight is far from an isolated incident. Since BSBCC was set up in 2008, the centre has worked with the state wildlife department, to rescue over 60 bears. “On average, we have five to six bears being sent to our centre every year; half of them are adults and half of them are cubs. All of these animals are all orphaned, because their mums were killed by poachers,” laments Dr Wong Siew Te (who goes by Wong), founder of the BSBCC. Sun bears, which are the world’s smallest bear and found all across Southeast Asia, are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Though the exact numbers of sun bears remains unverified, studies have shown that their population has fallen by over 30 per cent in the last three decades. Habitat loss has been a major factor in this, but the biggest threat that the bears currently face is from poaching for industries like the pet trade and food. Despite being a legally protected species in Malaysia, poaching activities still persist. One of the biggest current threats, comes from their use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For centuries, bear bile and gall bladders have been sought after for treating a variety of ailments. A recent report by TRAFFIC, stated that almost 70 per cent of all TCM shops in Malaysia were found with some form of bear products. Up from 2012, when it was at 48 per cent.  Photo from TRAFFIC But while the use of bear products in TCM has increased, so has knowledge of TCM over the years. There is now a realisation that there are viable and healthy alternatives to using wildlife products. The Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Association of Malaysia, is advocating for the use of medical herbs instead. “We can completely use medicinal herbs to replace animals” states Ng Kean Hwa, a second-generation TCM practitioner. “With a clear diagnosis, and when used appropriately, it can directly help achieve the curative effect and is a good form of protection towards the natural environment.” The value of looking after sun bears and not exploiting them isn’t just for the benefit of the bears. Sun bears provide a very tangible benefit to the welfare of people as well. Sun bears help maintain a healthy diversity of trees by keeping termite populations in check, and dispersing seeds. These trees are essential resources that people use for medicine, building infrastructure, and other needs that are important to the well-being of society. “For us as humans, we need a healthy forest ecosystem to provide us with clean air, clean water, stable climate, genetic resources like medicine. All of these matter to us,” says Wong. To help educate the public on the need to conserve sun bears, Wong has opened the centre for the public to view the bears in a forested enclosure, and to raise public awareness about their plight through education and eco-tourism. Here, the bears are fed their natural diet and have regular medical and dental check-ups. Rehabilitation is a critical component of BSBCC’s work, and when the bears are suitable for release, they are returned to the wild. To date, BSBCC has successfully released seven sun bears into protected forests. “My hope for all sun bears is that they can survive for a long, long time in Southeast Asia,” declares Wong. “I really hope that the sun bears can live forever in this world.”  RAYS OF HOPE Back at the platform, Logan has woken from his nap and is climbing a tree in search of something else to eat. Boboy smiles as any proud parent would, and shares a story of when he had to teach Logan the art of tree-climbing. “There was one time I climbed a small tree, and the tree wasn’t able to support me, and the branch almost broke. What I was most afraid of was that Logan was just below me, and I feared I would be crushed along with Logan,” he shares with a laugh. “Logan’s hand was weak when it came to climbing trees, but he still challenged himself and refused to give up. That’s why I like Logan. I have spent all this time working with him and our relationship is so close.” Today, Logan is a master tree climber, despite having a deformed paw. But Boboy has bigger hopes for his "adopted" bear. “In time, we will try our best to fix Logan’s paw… so he can be like other bears, and be released into the wild.” The desire for the sun bears to see a new dawn, is one that Boboy wishes all Malaysians will come to embrace. “I hope that everyone can work together to protect and care for the wild animals we have. I hope that one day, my children will have the opportunity to see the sun bear in the wild.” Before he returns to look after the rest of the bears under his care, Boboy has one last story to share. “We gave him the name Logan because of his left paw. It looks like the comic superhero Wolverine’s claw,” says Boboy with a smile. High up in the trees, Logan has found a comfortable spot, and like a true hero, has fallen asleep once again. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT: How can we get more involved in sun bear conservation and spread awareness? ABOUT BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTREEstablished in 2008 by wildlife biologist Dr Wong Siew Te, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is the world’s only conservation and research centre solely dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of the Malayan sun bear. A sanctuary for bears to recuperate and relearn natural behaviour for release back into the wild, the centre also aims to spread public awareness through eco-tourism and education. CONTRIBUTORSDirector & Editor Chris Annadorai Producer & Writer Lilian Tan Camera Shawn Khoong Video by Chiew Lin May "A good friend listens to your adventures!" - Little Romolina & Logan Logan and Giant Forest Ants Happy Monday everyone! "Only one of the reasons I love forest home so much!"-Logan Video by Chiew Lin May Do you remember Logan? Since his arrival at the BSBCC one year ago, he has captured our heart through his brave spirit nature! He was found abandoned near the river and this little Logan has been separated from her mother at a very young age. Little Logan took his own time to adapt his new life to learning essential survival skills as a free sun bear- trusting his new forest home, first bear friends and surrogate mother. Even though his left paw was malformed, he never gives up trying to climb trees. Logan, 2 years old now, has grown up to inquisitive, happy and playful bear who enjoys his life basking in the sun, foraging lots of yummy food, rolling on the forest floor and absolutely loves climbing trees play fight with friends in lush forest! We are so grateful for all the love and care you have given him. Catch a glimpse of Logan's beautiful journey of freedom here. Video by Chiew Lin May "Hanging out here for the weekend" Little Romolina and Logan decide to do digging up for termites today! Video by Chiew Lin May Sun bears live in the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia. Here Joe, Logan, and Romolina enjoy exploring in the forest- they loved it! "Where are your favorite places to explore?" |
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