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The first ever Labuk Bay Carnival 2017 was held on today, 30th July 2017 at the Mile 19 Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. A lot of activities was held during this event and our team (BSBCC) was happy to be part of it! The Labuk Bay Carnival started off with the Fun Run 8KM and Fun Ride 20KM early at 6.30 in the morning. Other activities held were boat paddle, mini games, lucky draws and performance by Chris Aban. Besides that, booths and exhibition from the BSBCC, the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club, Artlex Centre and the Sandakan Fire & Rescue Department were also there to make this carnival to be more happening. Thanks to the organizer for inviting us to participate in this carnival and congratulations to all the winners!  Fun Ride 20KM for cyclists  Flag off for the Fun Run 8KM  BSBCC educational booth  After the run, the runners took some time to visit our booth  Our volunteer, Syaqil interacting with the visitors of our booth  Booth by Artflex Centre  The registration for International Run for Orang Utan 2018 is now open!  BSBCC's volunteers also participated in the run. Congratulations!  Refreshment from Indocafe  Demonstration from the Sandakan Fire & Rescue Department  Prize giving for the winners of the Fun Run and Fun Ride 
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News Vietnam Net, 16th September 2013 VietNamNet Bridge – Seeing a bear in the cage in his uncle’s home, a five-year-old boy in Phu Tho moved closer to the cage to feed the bear, but his two arms were bitten by the bear.  Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Head of the Orthopaedics Ward of the National Pediatrics Hospital in Hanoi, said that Hai was hospitalized in the state of losing both arms. The right arm was cut until the shoulder joint while the left arm was lost to the elbow. The boy was in shock because of blood loss.
Doctors immediately conducted blood, intravenous fluid transfusions, anti-shock methods, then cut the bruised flesh. The boy has recovered but he is still in fear. Taking care of the child at the hospital, the boy’s mother said several days ago, her family paid a visit to her brother’s home. This man bred a bear for gall. The bear was locked in an iron cage. While the adults were busy, they suddenly heard the boy scream. When they came, they saw the boy’s arms were eaten by the bear. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung said he had never seen any case like this. Previously, the hospital treated some children who lost several knuckles after being bitten by animals in the Hanoi Zoo. Le Ha  Thank you all our donors for your generous support for our BIG DREAMS LITTLE BEARS fundraiser, Sandakan.   Your contribution generated RM443,000 for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre - the first sunbear centre in the world for the smallest bears in the world!
Contribution is underway and we hope to have the centre open by 2014! See you there soon ! Daily Express, 21st June 2013, Page 13      New Sabah Times, 19th June 2013    The Borneo Post, 28th June 2013         New Sabah Times, 21st June 2013     Text and Photo by Tee Thye Lim
At Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), the confiscated orphan sun bear will go through the electric fence training before they release into BSBCC forest enclosure. This is a very important phase where the bears will take their first step onto the forest floor after they have been keep in the cage for a long time. Some of the bear may take 1 day to enter into forest, some of them may take 1 week, and some of them even spend more than 1 month to put four of their feet on the soil. On 5th March 2013, the guillotine door which connected from our BSBCC bear house to the forest enclosure has been opened to let the sub-adult sun bear group - Natalie, Rungus, Ah Lun and Julaini to access to the forest. As expected, the "Group Leader" - Natalie, is the first one who lead the group to explore the condition around the guillotine door. But none of them step into the forest on the first day. On 7th March 2013, Natalie still "checking" the surrounding by letting out her feet at the guillotine door. Sometimes they will attracted and feel curious to the macaques who roaming near to the forest enclosure. 12th March 2013, this is the day where most of BSBCC team members have been waiting for !! 10:28am, Rungus, walking down from the ram to get the food and honey. Excitement, precaution, and curiosity were all shown on Rungus face and her movement. She started to explore the surrounding by sniffing around and straight went inside the forest without waiting for Natalie, Ah Lun and Julaini !! 2.30pm, the "Group Leader" - Natalie, started to get confident to step out again. She try to get food which scattered in the forest enclosure. Slowly, she step on the forest floor, alert to everything surrounded her. Natalie found a dead wood just near to the guillotine door and she digging on it for around 10 minutes before she went into forest to meet with Rungus. Have a look at the photo to check out what are Rungus and Natalie doing for the first day stepping out into forest !! Text & Video by Chiew Lin May Photo by Gloria Ganang and Chiew Lin May Many people regard termite as pests as they are destroying wooden building and furniture. However, these small creatures are important as a food source for sun bears in the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia. Termite belong to the insect order Isoptera. Termites are great architects. There are different species of termites make mounds (termite hill) of different shapes of nest structure in the tropical forest.  A dicuspiditermites spp found at Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve Termite are an asset in the jungle. They paly important roles in recycling the organic material and decomposers in tropical forest. Beside feeding on dead woody materials, several termite species also damage life trees in forest. For example, microceratermes spp is wood feeding termite that attack living tree. Wong Siew Te, our Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) CEO and Founder described sun bear act as "Forest Doctor". This is because sun bears are keeping check and maintain the health of tropical forest in a good condition which makes sure the population of termites is under control. Sun bear create new "feeding site" when breaking the termite mound and feeding on these tiny invertebrates. After the feast, the termite mound is abandoned by the bears but other insect eating animals use it as a feeding site. What will happen if sun bear is missing in the forest? The termite's population sure will be out of control and upset the equilibrium of the forest ecosystem.  The little one, Damai become a forest doctor.  Damai was hugging a life tree which covers with a wood feeding termite nest. Damai, a 7 month old female sun bear cub which was rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department and was sent to BSBCC on last November learned how to dig when she was young. We walk Damai in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve for few hours each day for the past few months. Damai like to roam in the forest like a wild bear. She is now mastering well in her digging, climbing, and foraging skills in the forest. We proud to see Damai improve and grow so fast. Sun bear are opportunistic omnivores that feed on forest insects such as termites and beetles. Insects as are important source of protein and a major component of bear diet. Damai view her world largely though her nose. She uses her keen sense of smell to locate their food source from a distances. When walking her in the forest, she spends most of her time foraging. She lumbers though the forest smelling the forest floor. She find termites by sniffing a decayed wood/ decayed log/ termite nest for any sign of termites, and digging it with her powerful long, curved claws. After that she will bit into the log with her strong canines and lick up the insects, larvae or eggs by her long tongue in fast flicking motion !! She even eat the termite queen ! No matter how tiny the paw is, she is capable to break into the termite nest and eat them. Sometimes she was too excited and rolls her body around the termite nest. It was so awesome!! Some pictures tell a stories better than words. Here are some picture of Damai digging and searching for termites in the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah.  Damai breaking the termite mound searching for her favorite termites. http://www.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/3/10335502/9698409.jpg?488  She licks up the larvae with her long tongue.  Look at the sharp claws, even this young Damai is capable to rip apart dead wood to get food.  Using her keen sense of smell, Damai is very focused on digging in search for termites.  The abandoned termite mound after breaking by Damai. This feeding site will benefit to other animals who feed on termites. Watch this short video which show how Damai foraging, digging searching for termites at Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah. It was an opportunity to study the behavior and ecology of sun bear. Hope you all enjoy this short video on what is going on in the world of Sun bear. Please help us spread words, share this video and love for this little known bear- Sun bear. Damai the sun bear cub feeds on termites in the forest of BSBCC May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wish you lots of love, joy and happiness. MERRY CHRISTMAS  |
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