Text by Seng Yen Wah
​Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah

Today, an estimates two year old, sub-adult Male Bear known as BJ, was sent to BSBCC by Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU), the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD). This Bear is now the 60th Bear to have been rescued by BSBCC. On 19th of February 2017, he was purchased in Kampung Sonsogon, Pitas with the price of RM300 when he was just five months old. After that, he was being sent to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park on 2nd of March 2017. BJ is in good health condition. Fur is shiny black and he appears to be bright and alert. He weighs 33.8kg.

​His history is still a mystery. Within the wild, a Sun Bear cub will naturally stay with their Mother until they reach the age of two or three years, where they then venture off as a solitary Bear. BJ was found at a young age, without his Mother, leaving an explanation that the Mother was poached and killed, and BJ an orphaned cub. Every Bear Mother has a natural instinct to protect and raise their healthy cubs, therefore abandonment, by the Mother, is not a true explanation to finding Sun Bear cub alone, like BJ. 

He was alert during his first arrival. This is a totally new environment for him and would need time to adapt to his new surroundings. We will keep you updated on his progress. From now, BJ will receive good care from the BSBCC Bear Care Unit. We hope he will gain courage and strength, to be able to return back to his natural home and become a REAL WILD BEAR again in the future! 

In Sabah, the Sun bear species are a “Totally Protected” species, under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment, 1997. On the 1st of September, 2016, Sabah State Assembly passed the Wildlife Conservation (Amendment) Enactment 2016 comes into force. The enactment states that anyone who is caught hunting/attempting to hunt a Sun Bear will face:

1. A fine of/not less than RM 50,000 and not more than RM100,000 or,
2. Imprisonment for not less than six months and not more than five years or, both.

​It is important to remember that we have the opportunity to Save the Sun Bear’s and Say NO to Illegal Poaching! You could make the difference in their life. 

Text by Chiew Lin May
Photos by Seng Yen Wah & Chiew Lin May
​

The sad part of each rescued orphan sun bear that arrive at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is that they come from having lived through a bitter past. As sun bears grow into fully grown adult, they become dangerous and difficult to handle which will end up their lives in a tiny cage or seeking out sun bear rehabilitation centre to take their sun bear pet in.

​This is what happens to our recently rescued a three years old sub adult female bear, Soo (Rescued bear No.56). It was so shock when we received a video showing that the person was playing with this bear (who is fully grown bear). She was purchased from Karamatoi village in Sook Keningau market when she was still cub and kept as a pet by a family in Nambayan village in Tambunan, located in the interior Division of Sabah for almost three years. She was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department and she arrives at BSBCC on 8th September 2017. Soo was fed with rice, cucumber and milk. Undoubtedly her mother had been killed; she is sold illegally throughout Borneo and kept in private home. Sadly many of these orphaned sun bears will never fully learn their natural way of life and lose their ability to survive in the wild. 

Text by Chiew Lin May
Photos by Azzry Dusain & Chiew Lin May
​

Today they saw their rescuers. Each rescued orphan sun bear needs to cope with the traumatic loss of their mother and generally ends up in the illegal pet trade. They all have a terrible start to their young lives. Surely their memories with the forest are all gone. They have never been given the chance to experience and exhibit their natural behavior.

Kina (rescued bear-54), a one year old female, was found around the village of Malak Palak, at Kota Marudu, in the northern region of Sabah. Now named Kina after the place where she was kept (originally nicknamed “Kalong” which was given by the previous owner). Her owner claimed that Kina’s mother was crossing a road and got frightened then just ran away and left Kina behind. Kina was just a bear cub and had not even opened her eyes yet. Hence, her owner took her and kept her for more than a year. We will never know exactly what happened to Kina before she was found alone in the forest. The owner then decided to surrender her to the Sabah Wildlife Department on February 2nd, 2017. Kina arrived at BSBCC on March 1st, 2017.

Along, a 6 year old male bear and Simone, an 8 year old female bear, are the newest arrivals at BSBCC. Both of them were kept in a Mini Zoo and Hot Springs in Tawau. In the January of 2016, they were surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife Department and were quarantined at Lok Kawi Zoo, Kota Kinabalu.

​Along and Simone arrived on the same day. Along the journey, the hot weather and long hours meant they had gone through a lot in a same day. When Along first arrived at BSBCC, he was pacing aggressively inside the cage and kept barking at people, especially when they went close to him. Compared to Along, Simone was much calmer. Bear keepers used a lot of effort to move them to our cages. Now BSBCC is their new home.

In the very first week, the bear house was still a very new and strange place for them. Most of the time they stayed on the basket. They were very alert, especially Along. When people got close to Along, he would give them a warning bark and showed aggressiveness. Simone adapted faster than Along in this new environment. She likes to explore the enrichment. Before they were here, bear keepers prepared enrichment for them such as dry leaves and decayed wood. Simone shows a lot of curiosity and interest in the enrichment.

​Besides that, they had no appetite in the beginning. This may be because we serve foods which are different than what they usually have and they were still very alert with the environment. Hence, we started to introduce different foods to them like nicely cut papaya, watermelon and so on. Lastly, we found out that both of them like to drink oats with milk. When we brought them the tray, they climbed down from the basket and waited for you and it’s their favourite food as well. Besides that, Simone loves honey. Conversely, Along likes coconut. Along likes to spend his time opening the coconut. When he swapped cage with Simone, he ate Simone’s coconut too. Simone did not mind her coconut being eaten by Along. 

Now they have a good appetite. Along appears less aggressive. He spends more time exploring the environment through staying on the ground with dry leaves and dead woods. Simone spends most of her time on the enrichment. Besides this, she enjoys resting on the basket or sitting on the water container too. Now they are better, Along and Simone are staying happily in BSBCC. 

Text by Ng Bee Ying & photo by Jocelyn Stokes
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On the 24th March 2014, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) received a new sun bear cub. Mr. Wong Siew Te, Founder & CEO of BSBCC and his team awaited the cub with great excitement, wondering how the bear is and what is the story behind this orphaned cub.

Like some of our confiscated bears, she was rear illegally by her previous owner, who bought the cub from a friend, in Ranau (West coast part of Sabah). Indeed, she was kept at the backyard of an inn for about 5 months.
Again, this is another case of a sun bear being captured and raised illegally by irresponsible people. Hopefully with the care and love that we offer to this cub would help to keep her healthy and ready to be released back to the wild one day.
We sincerely hope that people can stop having sun bear as pets. Sun bears are cute in the way they are and no one should take them away from their natural habitat. This will only be subsidiary to the interests of their owners, however it is cruel to keep any wild animal as pet and make them behave against their natural behavior.

New Straits Times, 16th March 2014
By Olivia Miwil | olivia@mediaprima.com.my
KOTA KINABALU: Five Malayan sun bears were relocated to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sandakan recently, bringing the total of the protected species to 32 currently at the conservation centre.  The five bears --four adults and a six-month-old cub-- were previously sheltered at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park after they were previously rescued by forest rangers or were handed in to the authorities by the public.
 

  A full medical examination was conducted to ensure the bears were fit for the eight-hour transfer journey to the centre.
 

 The centre’s  chief executive officer, Wong Siew Te said it took his team three hours to unload and settle the bears at their new ‘home’.
 

 "These bears are not part of those for public viewing, but we will continue to monitor and update the public on their progress, here," he added.
 

  The centre is able to receive more bears now after the recent completion of a second bear house.
 

  It will become a home to 34 bears, which include the recent batch and another two coming in by the end of the month.
 

  Wong urged the public to surrender the animal to authority as it was an offense to keep Sun Bears in captivity or as pets.
 

 "They are forest-dependent species and play important roles in the forest ecosystem as seed dispersers in the forest. Their roles are akin to engineers, doctors and farmers in the forest’s ecosystem. They keep our forests healthy, for the benefit of humans and all life forms,".
 

  Meanwhile, Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said those found to be keeping the sun bear any of its body parts could be jailed up to five years or be fined a maximum of RM50,000, if convicted.
 

  "Habitat loss and poaching for parts used in traditional medicine are among key threats that have led to a severe decline of the sun bear population in the last three decades in Sabah.
 

  "Sabah is now at a crossroad, and failure to protect remaining forest reserves would be a deathblow not only for our beautiful sun bears but also many other protected wildlife species such as clouded leopards and Orang utans," he said.
 

  The sun bears is classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN red list and is at risk of becoming endangered in future.

SANDAKAN: Five Malayan Sun Bears that were either confiscated or handed over to the Sabah Wildlife Department between June last year and March 1, this year have been transferred to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) near here.
The Sun Bears were initially sheltered at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in Kota Kinabalu after they were seized by Sabah Wildlife Department rangers, with some being handed over by the public, Park officer-in-charge and veterinarian, Dr Rosa Sipangkui said.
“We tranquillized the bears in the early afternoon of March 10 and conducted a full medical examination to make sure they were healthy before they were transferred into their transport cages for their eight-hour journey to their new jungle home at the BSBCC in Sandakan.
“Four of the five bears that we sent to BSBCC are males, including a six-month-old cub. Though I feel sad to see them leave Lok Kawi, I am happy for them as they will be getting a much better jungle home and also have an opportunity to be able to live in a forested environment very much like their original habitat and may be rehabilitated and released into a protected forest reserve one day,” Rosa said in a statement yesterday.
BSBCC chief executive officer Wong Siew Te said it took his team three hours to unload the bears when they arrived, and to settle them into the bear house.
“We are monitoring their progress, and we will keep the public updated on how they are doing. With the completion of our second bear house, BSBCC is now able to receive more bears that were previously in captivity or those rescued by the Department.
“The bears that we received are not part of those for public viewing at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. With the expected arrival of two more bears this week, BSBCC will become home to 34 bears,” Wong said.
He stressed that it is an offence for the public to keep a protected species, and anyone who has the animal in captivity should surrender it to the department.
“My message to the public is that Sun Bears are protected by law and cannot be kept as pets. Sun Bears are forest dependent species and play important roles in the forest ecosystem as seed dispersers, forest engineers, forest doctors and forest farmers. They keep our forests healthy, for the benefit of humans and all life forms,” Wong said.
Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu said Sun Bears fall under Schedule 1 of the Totally Protected wildlife species list in the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, and that killing, keeping a bear, or having in possession body parts like claws and gall bladders could result in punishment of up to five years’ jail or a maximum of RM50,000 fine.
“Habitat loss and poaching for parts used in traditional medicine are among key threats that have led to a severe decline of the Sun Bear population in the last three decades in Sabah.
“Sabah is now at a crossroad and failure to protect remaining forest reserves would be a deathblow not only for our beautiful Sun Bears but also many other protected wildlife species such as Clouded Leopards and Orang Utans that share a common habitat with the Sun Bear,” Ambu said.
In Borneo, the smallest of the world’s eight bear species is also seeing a drop in numbers following their illegal capture for the pet trade and when they are wrongly perceived as pests and gunned down.
The Polar Bear, Brown Bear, American Black Bear, Spectacled Bear, Sloth Bear, Giant Panda and Asiatic Black Bear are other better known bear species.
Found throughout mainland Asia, Sumatra in Indonesia and Borneo, the exact number of Sun Bears in the wild is unknown, making 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.
 ​

I was really really lucky, because I could see 5 bears coming to the center, also their medical check.

Yes, I am the first volunteer could see that!! Yeah!!

When they were coming, they roared scary voice. I haven't heard that in the center before. Because bears in the center are really used to the center and people. I was afraid of that voice , but  I think bears are more frightened than us. And the most scary part is to transport cage to new cage. Bears are instantly not in the cage. Sun bears are smaller than other bears and sometimes they behave like a human, but when I saw the new bears from wild or heared their scary voice taught me once again they are real bears.

The next day, I could see the health check. I thought I just could see that but I could help Mr. Wong take TPR and blood samples!! I'm so sorry bears, I was afraid of you! Because maybe you have bad diseases!! I learnt in my school about animal's bacteria, parasites and a lot of diseases. But this experience is my first time touched wild animal. That was amazing! I was so excited! His(that new bear's name is Ronney) fare, claws, body, how to breathe, tongues... Everything is interesting! I haven’t seen these so closely.
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I went there with Thye lim(quick tongued),Tommy(play boy),Bee Yin(intelligent girl), Azzry(OTAKU)and David(Hentaino ojisan)!!


I had great great great time with not only sun bears but also staffs in BSBCC. 

When I go back to Japan, I'll tell my friends, family, classmates about sun bears and my experience!

And I hope I could come back here again!!!!

Thank you so much!!!

Terimakashi

ありがとうございました。

​

Text by Dawn Tukalan and photo by Tee Thye Lim


The sun bear cub that was found wondering around at someone's car porch in a residential area at Damai, Kota Kinabalu has been sent to BSBCC on last 5th November 2012 (Monday night). She was reported and captured by the Civil Defense Department, handed to Lok Kawi Zoo and later sent to BSBCC by Sabah Wildlife Department's Wildlife Rescue Unit.

For more information about how was baby Damai found, please read the articles posted at newspaper few days ago.
Click the link below:

Man Finds Sun Bear Outside His Home - The Stars
Mystery of The Sun Bear At Car Porch - The Stars
Cub Found Could Be Illegally Reared: Dept - Daily Express

We named this female sun bear cub  “Damai”, after the place where she was found. Damai means "peace" in Malay. Weighing at 5kg, we estimated Damai is about 4 months old. When she arrived, she has a strong smell of pandan (an aromatic tropical plant) attached to her as her transportation cage was filled with pandan leaves.

She looks healthy and active as she started climbing and biting the things around her including the BSBCC caregiver.
We will try our best to provide her an ideal environment so that she will be back to the forest in the near future.
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Stay tune with BSBCC to follow up Damai's story !!
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Text by Gloria Ganang and photos by Tee Thye Lim


It has been 4 days since Ah Bui arrived at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). She is one fortunate female bear to be rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) just on time. She was almost sold for the purpose of bear bile. Ah Bui is approximately 2 years old.

We conducted Ah Bui’s physical check up at the BSBCC today. It went on very smoothly with the help from staffs of the SWD and Orangutan Appeal UK vet, Dr. Cinzia Cordella. It took us around 35 minutes to complete the procedures.

Ah Bui has obvious large canine teeth which are due to her previous diet. She used to be fed with chicken before she arrived here.  Her current weight is 25 kg which is perfect for a female bear her age. Her pulse and temperature readings are normal.

​Ah Bui seems to have adapted to a small confined cage indicated through her constant "bending over" behavior when she first arrived at BSBCC.  She has gradually adapted to the current cage which has more space for her to move around. Ah Bui however have to go through a quarantine period for a month before she will mix with other sun bears. She will eventually have a better social life, get access to the forest enclosure and be a wild sun bear again!