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Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May Sun bear cubs are extremely adorable. The rescued bears we have received were taken from the wild and became victims of the illegal pet trade. To obtain the cubs, their mothers are usually killed before their young are snatched. Kipaku’s story begins from a lifetime of being a house pet. Kipaku had been kept for three months by a family in Tambunan, after they claimed they had found the cub wandering alone around the forest fire area. He was fed with fried fish, milk and rice – an inappropriate diet! The owner decided to surrender the cub to the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit on 16th July 2020, and he was sent to BSBCC on 18th July 2020. Kipaku quickly adjusted to life in his new home. Kipaku’s health is improving gradually. He now weighs 10.60 kg. Sun bears of his age in the wild would be reliant on their mother, but he has already lost his mother and his home. Without his mother’s guidance, the chances of survival in the forest are slim. Here in BSBCC, the first step of rehabilitation for Kipaku was starting a daily forest walk with a surrogate mother. On the 6th of August 2020, Little Kipaku got a second chance to learn as a wild bear. He found the courage to set his paws on the forest floor! His surrogate mother will accompany and assist Kipaku to develop his survival skills, the knowledge he needs to thrive in the wild and ensure he receives the best possible care. During the walk, daily behaviour and ecology is recorded. We found out he has strong instincts – like climbing, resting high up in the tree canopy and looking for wild food. He remembers tall trees and rivers! He is quickly practicing the skills and is exhibiting good natural behaviour which he has not known since he was stolen from the wild as a cub. But there was some concern with Little Kipaku, is he too habituated to human presence. Sun bears are being susceptible to poachers upon release. Therefore, cubs will be exposed to minimal contact with humans during the rehabilitation process. Sun bears are opportunistic and will eat almost anything – small vertebrates, termites, earthworms, larvae and their eggs. He has an incredible sense of smell. Once he locates his favourite grubs, he will quickly use his claws to tear open tree bark then slurps out the food using his long tongue. Every day has a new tree bark to satisfy his curiosity! He can spend hours in a day foraging on the bark. He is very smart! He is always keen on trying out new things. He will check out every corner of the forest. Kipaku loves to snack on soil too – high with mineral nutrient! Being the youngest male bear at BSBCC, he enjoys getting into mischief and exploring around - beginning his new life where he really belongs! It is important to keep him psychologically and physically fit. “Climb, climb and climb higher!” – His most favourite activity when he is in the forest! He is an agile and tree loving little bear! He shows confidence when he climbs! He has strongly curved, pointed claws and naked soles – adaptations to the arboreal lifestyle. He is busy in the canopy searching for food. Sometimes, he does not care whether the tree branches can support his body weight. He just climbs through the branches and munches on leaves or tears the tree bark. When he misjudges a branch which snaps under his grasp, he will quickly grab it or fall to the ground. He can perform a full range of natural behaviour. Doing what bears do…!! He is free to do whatever he wants –FREEDOM! He enjoys rolling around and taking a nap in the forest canopy. He will stop by the river for a swim.  First time step on river- Learn Swim!  Whew! Take a DIP in the river to beat the heat! After a few weeks of outings, he has become more and more adventurous and active. He has left his past behind and continued to develop his forest skills during the forest outings.  An entire day of joyous - Climbing trees, Explore, Tearing tree barks, Digging wood and Sleep on a tree!  So excited he can practicing his survival skills in the forest - he miss his forest home!  Little Kipaku is ready for the life he was meant to live! The little bear is doing so well. It is remarkable to watch Little Kipaku explore free into the depths of the jungle. He certainly has the instincts for a future in the wild. Please keep fighting to stop poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Let them stay where they belong to – the wild! 
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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 Remember her? A three months old female bear cub was rescued by someone nearby Maliau Basin with the intention of saving her then surrender to the Sabah Wildlife Department. Since her arrival, she has stolen our hearts. Pet trade is one of the threats to the sun bear. Kala had a rough start life stolen from the wild. Check out this video what Kala is trying to speak out. Kala and her friends need your help to give them a brighter future – a future with a pot of honey, a healthy diet, love, and medical care that they can get their paws on! Please consider a donation to help give the care of one sun bear today. Please share her story! 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 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 What was the highlight of your weekend? "I think mine was foraging the bird's nest fern!" - Little Romolina Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May  Romolina has a beautiful crescent chest mark On the 10th of August 2018, it was a beautiful morning, Romolina’s surrogate mother took her out to the forest to experience the sounds and smells of forest environment for the first time.  'The feel of grass underneath my small paws!'  Happy! Happy!  She is very inquisitive and is always likes to sniff every corner of leaves.  She has been doing very well over the last two months After she had lost her mother and spent much of her time living as an illegal house pet, Romolina was given a second chance of freedom. Upon arrival, Romolina’s bodyweight was appropriate and she showed signs of stunted growth, but these have never caused her to fail at learning to be a wild bear like the other rescued bear cubs did!  How she has grown! Today she weight 12.30 kg. In the wild, Romolina’s mother would have taught her everything she needs to know to survive in the wild, but now she has to learn these skills by herself.  Is it the time came for Little Romolina to learn in the wild as a strong and confident bear On the 18th of August 2018, we brought Romolina out to the forest together with her best peer, Logan. Every time their surrogate mother has taken them out to have a walk, Romolina and Logan have been ready to explore and made their way over to the deep forest.  For the first time ever in BSBCC that we walk two rescued sun bear cubs and teach them the skills needed to survive in the forest They straight away started to venture, displaying wild bear behaviour!  Forest exploration  Our favourite hang time! Romolina loves to forage. She will stay in one area for a long time and becomes busy digging out all the termites, beetles and ants. The termites and ants better watch out for her! She will survey and explore the forest around her. She shows enthusiasm for her delicious food, while Logan will check on her and keep trying to distract Romolina from doing other things so that she can play with him.  Both have shown the ability to pick out natural food - termites, ants and beetles.  Romolina and Logan has always enjoyed their daily trips to the forest.  Romolina spends all of her time learning the skills she will need in the wild along with her friend  Romolina loves foraging for food  Romolina is licking out ants that traps on her body by using her long tongue.  Two cubs forage together  The forest ants and termites better watch out of Romolina!  Logan will check on her and keep want to distract Romolina from do other things so that she can play with him  It is playtime! Sometimes, Romolina will avoid playing with Logan by climbing high up into the trees. She is an arboreal little bear!  Romolina will avoid Logan from play fight!  Sometimes she enjoys spending time with Logan in wrestling play!  Romolina has a favorite tree! Up in the canopy, she will hang around and tear into the tree bark searching for tasty treats. She does not care about Logan’s appearance.  Getting as higher as she can! You have to really look to find her.  Romolina has become quite an expert in climbing  She immediately climb trees and start exploring her new home  Romolina and Logan showing their impressive climbing skills! On their daily walk, Logan will initiate play wrestling, chasing, rolling and climbing trees with Romolina, just like loving friends do!  Romolina is everything a sun bear cub should be – inquisitive, arboreal, and playful. These have been some of the BEST days of their lives - FUN!  The bears enjoy their taste of freedom. Romolina becomes more nervous when it comes to crossing the stream. The first time she discovered the stream she was unsure what to do with it and sometimes she would step back from crossing it if the water level was too high for her compared to Logan who just loves to dip in the stream.  Little Romolina slowly learn enjoys soaking in the stream  Best way to dipping in the stream!  Streamside hangs and feel the breeze with Logan! It is a delight to see how courageous they are.  Slowly she starts to learn forest skills that equipped her to survive in the wild. They are developing into strong sun bears and are doing amazingly well in the forest!  Yay! Free to explore, digging and play! Please provide them a better future and let the rescued bears live the life of freedom that was stolen by us.  “Yes, all we need is LOVE!”  Sun bear, simply amazing! Text & Photos by Chiew Lin May  Found abandoned near Lokan River, Kulu-Kulu Village in Sabah and kept in a cage for three months as a house pet. He was then surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife Department and sent to BSBCC on the 19th of May, 2018. Every year, orphaned sun bears are rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department or are surrendered by local people. Sun bear cubs are targeted for the illegal pet trade, hunted for food or used in traditional medicine. It is believed that their mother will be killed so that the poacher can snatch the bear cub. In the wild, sun bear cubs will spend the first two to three years of their lives with their mom. Without his mother to teach him the skills he needs, the sun bear becomes incapable of being released back into the wild and they must rely on our rehabilitation support.  Logan was found alone in the forest and then kept as a pet. But he is in safe hands now and settling in well at BSBCC The rehabilitation process after his arrival starts with strong bonding with his surrogate mother (bear care taker), where he slowly gains trust, strength and can be a wild bear again. The surrogate mother then will be assisting in daily walks in the forest with the bear cub to give them a second chance to learn all of the skills needed to survive in the forest.  The youngest male sun bear cub, Logan has settled happily into his new life. You can see how much little Logan has grown in that time and how chubby he is now with a weight of 15.10 kg.  With a beautiful yellow sun bear little crescent chest mark This brave bear that has lost his mother endured a lifetime of suffering in captivity and has never known the wild freedom he was born to have. On the 7th of June 2018, Logan finally felt the sunshine and grass under his little paws again!  Logan will get to play in the forest, learn to forage, climb trees and explore the forest. He learns to trust every day. The surrogate mother is helping little Logan to learn just how to be a wild bear!  Learn to be wild bear again! Day by day it is such a blissful time in the morning, he knows when we are going to start walking him in the forest. He will quickly climb down from his basket and without hesitation he will run into the dense forest. He is developing very well and showing great progress with his forest skills.  No surprise – he is always busy foraging and filling his tummy! Sun bears are opportunistic omnivores. For Logan, he loves to dig by using his sharp curved claws and strong teeth in search his favourite wild food - termites, ants, insects, pill millipedes and bird carcasses. When he finds something for his own, he is very happy about it! Sometimes Logan will stand up on his hind legs to get a better smell or view of something that attracted his attention.  Busy Logan! Finding favorite food  Deserves it!   Logan digs into decayed wood with his long claws  Lots of yummy food to find here!!  Now for some foraging  Logan checks a dead log for termites  Logan is licking ants off the tree  Yummy! Bird Carcass!  Favourite Termite Mounds! He uses his sharp claws and teeth to break the termite mounds  Favourite Termite Mounds! He uses his sharp claws and teeth to break the termite mounds Logan was missing his left thumb and his left front paw has developed abnormally, but these have never made give him up and he is always full of enthusiasm climbing trees. He loves to learn new skills and develops his small muscles every day! He is an agile climber where he uses his powerful legs, feet with hairless soles and sharp claws to climb the tree. Right after foraging he will choose a tree he loves and climb it. He learns the way to climb trees or liana and just enjoys the beautiful sun view! He is so brave! He always wants to make the most of what he has got! Only sometimes he will easily get tired after he tries to climb too many trees.  His true ability and agile shine through when up in the tree canopy where he belongs  Once out to the forest, he quickly climbs up into the trees  Excellent at climbing!  Explore my new HOME in the dense rainforest  He does a balancing act on the small branch!  He is determined to make the best of his life !!  Logan is comfy on Liana  He is so brave. He always wants to make the most of what he has got  How to stay COOL on tree!!  Never tired!   Logan have an incredible sense of smell! When he gets excited roaming the forest he will start to play fight and wrestle with his surrogate mother. He loves to play with anything and everything.  He absolutely loved it- he will rolling and running around!    He is a very active little bear! He knows the way to the stream and enjoys dipping, chilling in the stream or laying his snout deep in the water to beat the hot weather! Logan takes great pleasure enjoying his freedom each day in the forest.  Nothing feels BEST than a dip in the stream   For little Logan, his newfound freedom has meant to him: tearing decayed wood, finding his favourite food such as termites, sun bathing, and soaking in the stream. We cannot wait to see the next challenge he has to learn to grow every day.  He is a cheeky and intelligent bear to enjoy all things in the forest  How relaxed and comfortable can a cub be  Laze on the forest floor  Logan take a nap  Peekaboo!! Looking at these pictures, it is hard believe he is a huge part of the forest life now and is also catching his daily experience in life. Watching him is like watching any bear cubs in the wild!  He looks so at ease outside the forest  Miss my mum to venture together in the forest  Little Logan learn to trust and realize life with Tall trees, grass, insects, macaques at the forest  Logan will adapt well to life as a WILD sun bear and slowly he learns to leave his past as a pet behind him |
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