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New Straits Times Friday, 11 August 2023 By Paul Mu ![]() Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (centre), Sabah Wildlife Department deputy director Roland Nium (left) and Loob Holding Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Bryan Loo (right) launch the sun bear adoption campaign. -NSTP/PAUL MU KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is committed in protecting the sun bear as a national heritage, which is is aligned with its conservation-driven tourism vision.
State Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said a newly-launched campaign to adopt sun bears will help the Sabah Wildlife Department establish practical goals for sun bear recovery. "The population of sun bears in the country is now around 2,500," he said during the launch of the Bask Bear Coffee campaign to encourage Malaysians to adopt sun bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan. He said the BSBCC houses 42 sun bears, which were mostly rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department from poachers and pet owners. He said the effort to adopt a sun bear will enable people to support related scientific research and promotes the wellbeing of this totally protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Enactment. Meanwhile, Sabah Wildlife Department deputy director Roland Nium said the sun bear is among the 12 totally protected species in the state following the extinction of the Sumatran rhinoceros in 2019. He said strict enforcement has boosted conservation efforts and this can be boosted with increased public awareness, he said. He said sun bears faced major threats in the form of illegal poaching for its paws, gall bladders and bile, which fetch very high prices in the black market.Those caught for illegal poaching can be face up to five years imprisonment and be fined RM250,000, upon conviction. Meanwhile, Loob Holding Sdn Bhd founder and chief executive officer Bryan Loo said the company adopted a three-month-old sun bear named Tenom. He said the company, which owns Bask Bear Coffee, said its 96 outlets nationwide will engage in efforts to encourage people to know more about sun bears. It is also aiming to raise funds to adopt another sun bear at the BSBCC. He said each adoption costs RM7,200 annually and it involves staff rehabilitating captured bears for their eventual release into the wild. BSBCC's founder and chief executive officer Dr Wong Siew Te hoped the campaign would raise awareness about sun bears status as protected animals. He urged people to join the 'Adopt a Sun Bear' campaign to support their conservation efforts.
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Day 177: Give Betung the best of everything to speed her recovery. Wow looks how Little Betung has grown! She had made great progress in the forest and learns the essential skills needed to survive in the wild. To her, freedom means to able to do whatever she want, explore, climbing favourite trees, forage for food and be herself! She loves this adventure. It will be a long road to recovery. This illegal pet trade - unable to express natural behaviours, left the bears traumatized and alone. There is always a reason for HOPE. Now she is safe and lives a second chance at a happy life, thanks to people like you! Sun bears belong in the wild and should never be kept as pets! You can show your care by adopting Little Betung here: Beautiful transformation, is not it? ❤️ Please share Little Betung's story! Siesta in life! May your days be filled with laughter always! "This is the kind of place we would love to spend most of our time here where we can explore, foraging, climbing favourite trees, resting, and play fight with bear pals! Please help protect our habitat!" - The smiling bear, Fulung! Day 169: Pill millipede! How yummy does this look? Did you know – Sun bears are the smallest members of the bear family. Sun bears are opportunistic omnivores which means they eat a variety of fruits, plants, figs, insects, and even honey! Sourcing wild forest food is important so the rescued sun bears can become accustomed to a variety of food sources that they can forage in the forest. Little Betung is curious and wondered how pill millipede taste like? “It definitely was a perfectly cozy day for my Tuesday sunbathe time!” ❤️ The warm weather makes Kipaku ready to take a nap in the forest. There are many who still want to destroy their forest for their own greed.Please take a stand to protect the remaining rainforest! Follow the link to learn more about sun bears and our work here: https://www.bsbcc.org.my Day 166: A guardian of this little bear! She is one of the survivors of the illegal house pet whom lost her mother since in young age. Sun bear cubs remain dependent on their mother for 2 to 3 years. She was weak and vulnerable and in desperate need of our help. After 5 months of the rehabilitation process, Little Betung is fulfilled in the forest home! She enjoys learning the life in the forest - enjoyment of lives with many small pleasures! Slowly, she realized that nothing bad was going to happen to her anymore. She is now a happy, well-adjusted bear cub. She requires lifelong care and deserves a future that will be a bright one. To make her dream a reality –buy a special gift (nutritious food, health care, enrichment treats & love). Please be a guardian of this little Betung! You are made a world of difference for her! To buy a GIFT - https://www.bsbcc.org.my/gifts-with-meaning.html
Dodop was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department in 2nd June 2016, where she was found kept as a house pet in Singgaron villager, Ranau district. Demand from the wildlife trade leads to sun bears being illegally stolen from the wild to become pets, attractions in zoos or used in traditional Asian medicine. Having been kept long in captivity and habituated to people, she has lost the natural instinct to survive in the wild. Fortunately, with the help and care from our team, Dodop has finally learned what it is like to be a wild sun bear. She loves hanging out on the tree! Please share her story! End the Illegal Pet Trade! Illegal trade is one of the biggest threats to the sun bear’s survival. Our rescued sun bears were a victim of the illegal wildlife trade before someone came to their aid. The rehabilitation process helps to restore the sun bears’ natural behaviour and preparing for their lives in the wild can be a long process. After being rescued, they start to re-learn skills with the help of their bear friends. Such as foraging for food, climbing, and avoid strangers which their mother will teach them when they were young. Keeping sun bear as pets is illegal and it could make the bears lose their instincts for living in the wild. Please return back to where they belong. Each of us must make a difference! If you see suspicious activity, be sure to REPORT illegal trade in bear parts to: # Jabatan PERHILITAN Semenanjung Malaysia: 1-800-88-5151 # Sabah Wildlife Department: 088-254767 #Sarawak Forestry Corporation: +60168565564 # Wildlife Crime Hotline | Hotline Hidupan Liar | 野生物罪案热线 : +60 19 356 4194 Sun bears are the coolest! Let’s learn about them! The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is the smallest bear on the planet. They live in the forests of South East Asia. Sun bears are not picky eaters –opportunistic omnivores. They eat a varied diet including termites, ants, beetle grubs, a large variety of fruit species, and honey. Besides being adorable and charismatic, these smallest bears play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem and equilibrium of the forest. Like other bears, sun bears are face threats ranging from illegal poaching for their gall bladders, the illegal pet trade, and loss of habitat. You can join to help care for them: https://www.bsbcc.org.my/volunteer.html Text by Chiew Lin May Photos by BSBCC & Chiew Lin May Sweet Manis has been at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) since August 2009. During the arrival, she was suspected to be pregnant. However, her pregnancy was later found to be a pseudo pregnancy. Manis means “Sweet” in Malay language. Manis was found having health problems which caused changes in skin colour and dryness. Her health condition has improved with intensive treatment and care. She has received health checks since arriving at her new home. Manis settled into the new environment very quickly. A nutritious and balanced diet was given to her. Being kept as a pet for years can have an effect on the sun bears physical and mental health. Manis will show more stereotypical behaviours in the dens. It is believed that she was never given any enrichment when she was kept at the zoo, thus leading to her stereotypical behaviour. The volunteers and keepers provide different types of enrichment to encourage Manis’s natural behaviour and for stimulation. Manis is a curious bear that is keen on interacting with the new enrichment toys offered. She now has dry leaves as a bed which she has never had before. After she finished quarantine period, Manis soon moved to the next stage of her rehabilitation. In 2010, Manis was integrated with the larger adult female bear group – Cerah, Jelita, Kuamut, Susie and Lawa. Manis and her friends were moved to the new bear house on 7th April 2010, after the construction of bear house 1 and forest enclosure 1 was completed. Integrating them with other bears will enable them to share and roam the forest enclosure together. It also allows Manis to continue to learn more wild sun bear behaviours. Besides, there has been a significant change in Manis’s behaviour since she has bear pals. Over the years, we have watched her grow into a gentle and dominant adult bear. She is the “grandmother” of the group. Preparing for life in the wild can be a long process. Sun bear cubs will live with their mother for two to three years to learn the skills they will need to become wild sun bears. But for Manis’s case, she will not be able to be released in the wild due to her old age. But in BSBCC, Manis will be given a second chance to survive as a wild bear in order to let her have the freedom to live in the rainforest. ![]() On July 2012, it was the first time for Manis to begin exploring the forest world when she was released into the forest enclosure and was able to be free to forage, climb, play, explore the world and acquire a variety of other survival skills. Despite her age, Manis tends to spend more time on the ground than climbing high in trees. This includes looking for termites and taking naps. Manis has adapted well to life as a sun bear and is leaving her past behind her. She enjoys the forest and displays absolute enthusiasm! We cannot imagine the future for sun bears if they continue being caught and sold as house pets, or their home continues to be lost. We must protect sun bears and their forest. Please help to stop illegal wildlife trafficking.
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