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Video by Chiew Lin May "It hard to say goodbye but it is their destiny!" Three sun bears were released back into the wild in Tabin Wildlife Reserve on April 14th, 2019 after four years of rehabilitation at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Watch how Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan have been prepared for their new life in the wild! Orphaned sun bears who have been given a second chance of survival in the wild, thanks to your support for our work! To make a donation or find out other ways to help, visit the BSBCC website at www.bsbcc.org.my
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Text by Seng Yen Wah Photos by Chiew Lin May, Tee Thye Lim & Seng Yen Wah One of the missions of the BSBCC is to promote sun bear conservation in Borneo through animal welfare, conservation and rehabilitation. Giving captured sun bears a better home and restoring their rights to live in the wild by enabling the rehabilitation and release of suitable orphaned and ex-captive bears back to the wild. In the past four years the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) has released four bears in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Natalie (16 May 2015), Lawa (24 July 2016), Debbie and Damai (7 March 2018). The released candidates are independent, forest loving bears that are skilful in digging, foraging, climbing, and nest building (can be either tree nest or ground nest) and the most importantly they know how to avoid humans. Even though the sun bears have been made a totally protected species under the Sabah Wildlife Enactment in 1997, people are still trying their luck at hunting a sun bear in the forest. There is no acceptable reason for hunting a wild animal; however, it is crucial that sun bears must know how to avoid humans. We are pleased to share that we broke our record this year by releasing three bears in one go. They were released into the core area of Tabin Wildlife Reverse, in Lahad Datu, Sabah on the 14th of April, 2019. These released were Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan and were all sub adult bears. Each bear has their own story and were rescued from different places within Sabah. Boboi is a four year old sub adult male bear. He is the only male bear in the release group and the first male bear that we released in the wild. Boboi has a best bear friend, Kitud, she is a four year old sub adult female bear. Boboi and Kitud were kept together in Singgaron Village, Ranau district. However, they originally were from Pitas, Sabah. Both of them were handed over to the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and arrived at BSBCC on 30th of October, 2015. Boboi loves to spend his time with Kitud and he always feels comfort and security when Kitud is around. Boboi has a wide and bright chest mark. However, Kitud has a thin and incomplete “U” shaped chest mark. Besides, her chest marking another discernable feature is that she has brown coloured ears. Kitud is a curious and adventurous sun bear. She likes to stay up high and enjoys playing with the tree branches. Her daily activities are filled with climbing, digging and foraging in the forest. Tan Tan is another four year old sub adult female bear. She came to the centre slightly earlier than Boboi and Kitud, on the 5th of August, 2015. Tan Tan was rescued from the remote region of Paitan. The person bought Tan Tan with the intention of saving her life. After that, he/she informed the SWD and the Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) who sent her to BSBCC. Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan stayed together in quarantine. Tan Tan is a great climber, she broke the record at BSBCC for which bear has climbed the highest and she knew how to build a nest from just six months old. A day before departure, the veterinarian from BSBCC, Dr.Yeoh Boon Nie, sedated Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan for a final check-up and the keepers assisted to transfer them to the translocation cages. The team cared for them well through close monitoring. On the 14th of April 2019, at 3 am, the sky still dark, but the bear release team and the bears are getting ready for the long journey of the day. After the three hours’ drive, the team and the bears reached the Tabin Wildlife Reserve. However, the core area of the forest could not be reached by road. Therefore, the helicopter, model Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd (Bell 206) Longranger Underslung took us the rest of the way there. A group of team members went on the first trip for the preparation and site inspection of the location. The site inspection is used to evaluate and identify the suitability of the release site. Then, the second and following trips included one group of the team member with the bears. Everyone waited for Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan to arrive at the core area. The first bears to be brought over were Kitud and Tan Tan together, then Boboi. To all be released together. The team carried them with heavy footsteps. It is no easy job to release three bears at once. Everyone was getting tired and sweating a lot. Nevertheless, no one was complaining, because they know that it is totally worth it for the bears and this is what they want. There were noises coming from every direction; clicking, rustling, bird song, and mammalian call. The rainforest smells earthy and the scent fills the air. It is a new home for them! After the four years of rehabilitation process at the BSBCC, now a new adventure and new chapter of their lives are just beginning. Once the door opened, Tan Tan and Boboi ran straight to the forest. On the other hand, Kitud was exploring her new environment. After few minutes, all of them disappeared in front of our eyes, into the forest. The feeling is complicated for us. But, we are so glad that they finally get the happiness they deserve! Their movement will be monitored via satellite collar. Be brave and strong Boboi, Kitud and Tan Tan! The BSBCC truly appreciate efforts and assistance from all parties to our success. It was challenging but you all made it easier. You can help us by spreading the word or by donating at http://www.bsbcc.org.my/donate.html. Your kindness will help to give the sun bears a better future! 星洲日报, 9th March 2018 http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/1734411           Borneo Post Online, 9th March 2018 by Winnie Kasmir http://www.theborneopost.com/2018/03/09/two-rescued-sun-bears-go-back-to-the-wild/      The Star online, 8th March 2018 by Muguntan Vanar https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/03/08/sun-bears-damai-and-debbie-released-back-to-the-wild/      New Straits Times, 8th March 2018 by Avila Geraldine https://sg.news.yahoo.com/two-protected-malayan-sun-bears-104646636.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=fb       诗华日报 online, 8th March 2018 http://news.seehua.com/?p=346872        Text by Woo Chee Yoong Photos by Woo Chee Yoong and Tee Thye Lim The Island of Borneo is famous as the largest island in Asia and third largest island in the world. A vast and astonishing green area, covered with mysterious tropical rainforest, and so many amazing creatures that have not yet been discovered. Inside the island lies a very important habitat for the wildlife of Sabah. The Tabin Wildlife Reserve was once home to the Sumatran Rhinoceros, but sadly, the Sumatran Rhinoceros was declared extinct in the wild in Sabah, leaving the only two in captivity with Borneo Rhino Alliance, BORA, at Tabin.  During my internship period, I was given the chance to assist Tee Thye Lim, the BSBCC’s Operation Executive, who is currently conducting his Master’s research in Tabin Wildlife Reserve, with sun bears as his focus. His team assisted with his final sampling in the core area of the Tabin Wildlife Reserve for one month. First of all, I am very thankful for this opportunity given by Dr(Hon) Wong Siew Te, the founder of Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), as well as Thye Lim. Besides myself, the other team members were Jeniur, Mizuno and Logan, who made the team complete, fit and tough. Each of them has their own strengths, and combined performed excellent teamwork. Hence, the sampling was smoothly completed. I feel thankful for the presence of these three warriors because they took good care of me as I was inexperienced living in a forest environment, and they always unselfishly taught and guided me with their own survival skills.  The methods we used for studying the sun bears at Tabin Wildlife Reserve were baited camera trapping and hair trapping. At each camera station, two trees were chosen as the targets and wrapped with duct tape to get the sun bear hair samples, and one of the trees was tied with bait made of shrimp paste and salted fish. The bait was wrapped inside a black net, and was hung above the tree within view of camera, in order to lure the sun bear to climb so its hairs would stick on the tape. Each camera was set up with photo and video mode. We stayed in the forest for two weeks in order to change the bait after one week.    Each day living in the forest posed a challenge for us, especially when the climate was not on our side. During the first two weeks, rainy days caused panic among us when the river water almost flooded to our camp site. Even huge trees were flushed away, known as “Water Head”. Then, in the next two weeks, we were hit by huge winds, known as “Wind Head”, and we could hear the sound of large trees falling to the ground. Even the calls of elephant or fresh footprints served to make us more alert to our surroundings.  However, it was not all hard work. We shared funny moment’s everyday which cheered us up and helped us forget our tiredness. We designed our own camp with comfortable hand-made furniture, and built tables, chairs and a kitchen area to induce more homely feeling. We bathed together in the super cold river (with underwear on of course), and watched movies in the forest using a phone and a speaker. We also played a poker card game called Bridge, where the losers were punished by washing the dishes, lighting the candles and making tea and coffee. The fried rice cooked by Mizuno was better than most of the dishes served by restaurant in the city. We did some crazy stuff, which will always be kept a secret by our team. The best part of the experience was being able to witness the wildlife freely roaming in the forest. We heard the calls of gibbons and helmeted hornbills in the morning, and saw great argus’s right in front of us. Spotted hornbills flew round us, and bearded pigs, mouse deer, muntjac and sambar deer ran past us. A Malay civet even broke into our kitchen area! Lastly, we found sun bear claw marks and heard the loud barks of a sun bear when Jeniur and I were on our way to service a camera. Frightened and shocked were my reactions at the time, because the barks clearly showed that our presence was unwelcome. But it was a wonderful experience that I will always remember.   The forest is the sun bear’s home. We arrived uninvited, which is something that none of us in this world would like. Loggers and poachers are becoming more daring, and are exploiting every piece of this green land and the wildlife living inside it without mercy. More attention and funding are given to captive animals for education and research purposes, but wild animals need to be given the same attention and protection. I hope the public from all over the world will give more support to conservationists, like us at the BSBCC and other organisations which work to protect important species, such as Sun Bear. Preserving their main habitats is important to assure future of these species so they can continue to survive.  Text by Chiew Lin May Photos by Tee Thye Lim and Chiew Lin May  It is beautiful ♥ The sun bear is the smallest and least studied of the eight bear species in the world. Unfortunately, the number of sun bears is declining. Their population has decreased by 30 percent over the past 30 years and they are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The causes for this decline are illegal poaching, illegal pet trade and habitat loss, putting their future in jeopardy.  The best thing you can do when survey for WILD sun bear signs in the deep of rainforest ! Our project of studying the wild sun bears in Tabin Wildlife Reserve has kicked off!! Currently Thye Lim is running the project for his masters at Sunway University, and he is conducting this study to estimate the population density of sun bear. The study will be conducted in the biggest forest reserve in Sabah (Latitude 5°12’51”N and Longitude 118° 43’11”E). Tabin Wildlife Reserve was gazetted in 1984. A total of twenty camera traps will be in use (Moultrie M-999i). One camera will be placed at each station. To increase the detection of sun bears, we set up camera traps along animal trails and on trees which had any signs of sun bears (e.g. claw marks), or on fig trees.  Finding sun bear sign  Collecting tree samples and data for those trees that found sun bear's claw mark  Collecting tree samples and data for those trees that found sun bear's claw mark  The team is setting up camera trap to detect presence of sun bear in Tabin Wildlife Reserve  The team is setting up camera trap to detect presence of sun bear in Tabin Wildlife Reserve  Collecting tree samples and data for those trees that found sun bear's claw mark  Collecting tree samples and data for those trees that found sun bear's claw mark Type of bear signs :  Claw marks  Claw marks  Claw marks  Claw marks  Tree- tears for termites  Diggings  Diggings  Yellow arrow showing the tree nest  Yellow arrow showing the tree nest  Amazing figs tree  Amazing figs tree  One of the most interesting geological features of Tabin Wildlife Reserve is the mud volcanoes  One of the most interesting geological features of Tabin Wildlife Reserve is the mud volcanoes  Nest of a female bearded pig that made of saplings and branches of shrubs This study is supported by the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), Lancaster University (UK) and Sunway University (Malaysia). This is a collaborative project by Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department and BSBCC. There are fantastic pictures which have been taken by camera traps during our sun bear study and we will keep you updated on more photos as they come!  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean sun bear (Helactos malayanus)  Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)  Sunda clouded leopard (Neofilis diardi bornensis)  Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor)  Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor)  Yellow muntjac (Muntiacus atherodes)  Bearded pig (Sus barbatus)  Grey Langur (Presbytis sabana)  Pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina)  Pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina)  Yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula)  Western tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus)  Thick-spined porcupine (Thecurus crassispinis)  Short-tailed mongoose (Urva brachyurus)  Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela)  Great argus (Argusianus argus)  Crested fire back (Lophura ignita) Text By BSBCC Photos By BSBCC & Scuba Zoo Finally able to breathe true freedom in the wild…  Natalie, the beautiful adult female sun bear at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) forest enclosure  Natalie, the beautiful adult female sun bear at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) forest enclosure Just before Christmas 2010 baby cub Natalie was rescued from illegal pet trade and sent to Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) on December 23rd. It was claimed that she was found alone and abandoned by her mother. However, we suspected that her mother was killed by poachers and she was captured and illegally kept as a pet. A 5 year old adult female beautiful Natalie built up her survival skills, independence and learned to behave like a wild sun bear. Her improvement in her survival skills in the forest enclosure has been excellent. She became an exceptional climber and tree nest maker. After learning in BSBCC for five years Natalie is ready to be released back to where she belongs – the forest. The ultimate goal of BSBCC is to return rehabilitated sun bears back to the wild and on Sunday May 17th, 2015 it was time to follow this goal; BSBCC started the journey to release Natalie back to the protected forest. Previous to her journey she was fitted with a satellite collar to keep track of her even after her release. In order to transport the sun bear to the forest as far as possible we choose to use a helicopter. After a long discussion, Wong decided that the helicopter model Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd (BO105) was the suitable for our purposes because it could fit transportation cage. This is the FIRST time that a captive sun bear got reintroduced to its natural habitat in Sabah using a helicopter and is monitored post release with the help of a satellite collar. Natalie is ready to live a new life as a truly wild sun bear in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve. The experience she has gathered throughout her 5 years at the rehabilitation centre will help her explore her true home in the core area of Tabin Wildlife Reserve. The core area encompasses 120500 hectares and is a pristine rainforest with no human disturbances but lots of big trees, fig trees and a variety of wildlife.  It was a challenging day. All hopes and prayers were solely for this release activity to go as smoothly as planned. The release team’s preparations already started at 3pm on May 16th, 2015 at the bear house of BSBCC when Sabah Wildlife Department vet, Dr. Laura Benedict started the sedation process. A full physical health examination showed that Natalie was completely healthy at 45kg of weight. Dr. Laura Benedict inserted a microchip into Natalie’s body.  Health check starts with Natalie being put on anesthesia by Dr Laura Benedict, Wildlife Rescue Unit veterinarian.  Health check starts with Natalie being put on anesthesia by Dr Laura Benedict, Wildlife Rescue Unit veterinarian.  After sedation, Natalie is transfered out of her cage for a medical check up  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Dr. Diana Ramirez, Dr.Laura Benedict and BSBCC team perform a full health check on the bears’ health to make sure Natalie is fully ready for the reintroduction  Checking Natalie’s teeth condition  Checking Natalie’s teeth condition  Measuring Natalie's Hind Paw   A microchip is inserted into Natalie's body by Dr.Laura Benedict  A microchip is inserted into Natalie's body by Dr.Laura Benedict  Natalie's unique chest mark Natalie was then moved to her translocation cage. Natalie’s journey started on a WRU truck to Wildlife Department Quarter Lahad Datu in the east of Sabah, two hours from BSBCC. Natalie was kept in the translocation cage overnight close to the veterinarians, the WRU team and the team of BSBCC. She was under constant observation and fed with water, honey and banana. Natalie seemed to be stressed in the translocation cage, but freedom was just around the corner.  Wong Siew Te and BSBCC staffs move Natalie to translocation cage  Wong Siew Te and BSBCC staffs move Natalie to translocation cage  Natalie loaded onto the Wildlife Rescue Unit truck  Natalie loaded onto the Wildlife Rescue Unit truck The team woke up early in the morning on May 17th 2015, and got ready at Tabin Headquarter at 6.30 am. After a full assessment, the weather was considered safe for the helicopter to land at Tabin Headquarter. Once the helicopter arrived, the operation was split into three different trips. With the first two trips the team entered the mud volcano of Tabin to evaluate and identify the most suitable release site.  Helicopter provided by Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd arrives in Tabin Headquarter  Helicopter provided by Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd arrives in Tabin Headquarter   Final discussion on Natalie release operation  Wong Siew Te is feeding Natalie with water  Wong Siew Te is feeding Natalie with water  First team will evaluate the release area and identify the proper release point  Wong Siew Te - the CEO & Founder BSBCC  First team will evaluate the release area and identify the proper release point  First team will evaluate the release area and identify the proper release point  Tabin rangers, WRU team and BSBCC team are assist uploded the translocation cage into helicopter  Tabin rangers, WRU team and BSBCC team are assist uploaded the translocation cage into helicopter  Tabin rangers, WRU team and BSBCC team are assist uploaded the translocation cage into helicopter At 10.17 am, it was Natalie’s turn to be flown to Tabin mud volcano  Once Natalie arrived, the team set up the translocation cage in the correct direction for release. Dr. Laura Benedict conducted a final check, to ensure that Natalie was ready to enter her new home!  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  The largest protected wildlife area in Sabah, Tabin Wildlife Reserve which rich diversity of plants and animals  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  The BO 105 Helicopter carrying Natalie in her translocation cage landed safely on the Tabin mud volcano  Natalie is unloaded from helicopter  Natalie is unloaded from helicopter  Natalie is unloaded from helicopter  Natalie is unloaded from helicopter  Natalie is unloaded from helicopter  Natalie is carried to the release point  Natalie is carried to the release point  Natalie is carried to the release point A 20 m rope was tied to the sliding gate of the cage. The team stood 15 m away from the translocation cage.  Preparation before the Natalie release  Preparation before the Natalie release  Preparation before the Natalie release  Preparation before the Natalie release  Natalie awaiting her release As soon as the door of her cage was opened, Natalie straight headed into the forest. She explored everything, sniffed the air of Tabin and assessed her new environment before disappearing into the tall tree canopy of the forest. Tabin Wildlife Reserve has welcomed her into a new protected home. The emotions running through the forest while watching Natalie enjoying her newfound freedom are un-describable. A heart-warming moment filled with tears of joy.  Once the cage door opened, Natalie quickly steps out from the translocation cage and slowly discover her new home  All of sudden she realized she was free !  Look at this precious Natalie, how can we not want to give her a second chance of freedom?  Making her way over tall trees displaying natural bear behavior. Natalie finally got her first taste of freedom in the wild Wildlife Rescue Unit team, Tabin Rangers, BSBCC team and Scuba Zoo Filming Crews in Tabin Headquarter. Thanks for all your support in helping sun bear and release work.   Natalie! Stay healthy, happy and keep growing gracefully!
You will always be in our hearts! |
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