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International Sun Bear Day 2022 has been a success! The celebration was informally started two days before with the mask coloring activity with the children coming to BSBCC starting from 14th May until 16th May, followed by the Zumba Dance Fundraiser on the 15th May. On the 16th of May, the event was formally launched with the opening speech from Yayasan Sime Darby Excellence Scholars and followed by a virtual tour from Dr. Wong Siew Te. The tour was filled with interactive Q&A session between Dr. Wong and the audience, sharing them with stories and personal experience about the sun bears with the emphasize on the event’s theme, “Healthy Forest, Happy Wildlife”. At the same time, Sandakan Vocational College students were doing paintings based on the event’s theme. Soon after, the Kahoot Quiz was carried out by the YSD Excellence Scholars, testing participants comprehension about the sun bears. The birthday celebration and cake cutting ceremony for Dr. Wong’s birthday was done shortly after the lunchtime. It was indeed a memorable moment for Dr. Wong, whose birthday coincided with the release of Natalie back in 2015, in which the first Sun Bear Day was celebrated in 2017 to commemorate Natalie’s release. After the ceremony, the students were guided by the Bear Care Unit to create enrichment for the bears. The enrichment consist of ginger leaves tied tightly with vines and dipped into a solution of shrimp paste, producing a strong smell to attract the bears. The students got the chance to see the bears enjoying their treat by throwing the enrichment into the forest enclosures. The event wrapped up with the announcement for the winners for the essay, story telling, and the painting competitions, personally announced by Dr. Wong. We would like to thanks to Life Water Industries Sdn Bhd, Sepilok Jungle Resorts, Sepilok Nature Resort and Sabah Hotel for sponsoring the Zumba Dance Fundraiser and Kuwait Finance House Berhad for sponsoring the tickets for Malaysian kids coming to BSBCC during the past three days from 14-16th May 2022, and not forgetting all the participants and all parties involved in making this event a success. See you guys again next year!
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Text by Seng Yen Wah Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah After Sunbearo and Loki were reintroduced into the wild in January of last year, we are happy to announce that we have successfully released Wawa, a six-year-old adult female sun bear, back into the wild on February 26, 2022. She is the 11th bear to be reintroduced into the wild by the BSBCC.  Wawa (a six-year-old adult female bear) has been successfully released into the wild on 26th February 2022. Wawa arrived at the BSBCC on the 18th of March, 2016. When she arrived at the BSBCC she was just four months old. She was spotted by the Forest Management Unit (FMU) 16, Pinangah, Telupid District. At that time, when the officer brought her to the FMU, she appeared weak. The next day, they surrendered Wawa to the Sabah Wildlife Department. After that, she was sent to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Zoo and then to the BSBCC.  Wawa arrived at the BSBCC on the 18th of March, 2016. When she arrived she was just four months old. Ideally, the bear cub will stay with their mother until two to three years old. However, Wawa was found alone, without her mother by her side. She suffered from the loss of her mother. Due to emotional trauma, Wawa was afraid of her new environment. She would become grumpy and start growling. She felt safer and prefered to stay in the den rather than out in the forest.  Wawa lost her mother at a very young age. She suffered from emotional trauma which caused her to fear her new environment. For Wawa to gain confidence, her keepers provided her with different natural structural enrichments, in a larger exercise den, to enrich her daily life and encourage her natural bear behaviour. Every day she practised her “wild bear skills” such as digging, foraging and climbing. These skills are essential for survival in the wild. Wawa slowly adapted to her new surroundings.  The structural enrichment in the den enriches her daily life and encourages her natural bear behaviour.  Every day she practises her “wild bear skills”.  Wawa slowly adapted to the new environment. On 17th November 2016, Wawa took her first and brave step out onto the ground in the forest enclosure. Once she touched the ground, she could not wait to explore everything inside the forest enclosure. She has since proven that she is an explorer! She has excellent climbing skills and is one of the most adventurous and outgoing bears in the BSBCC. She is superb at exploring and investigating both the enrichment and the environment. She explores, plays, climbs and rests in the forest. Wawa is vigilant. She is aware of her surroundings. When a stranger is gradually approaching her, she will give a warning bark or even chase them away. She gains strength, confidence and develops her independence. After six years of rehabilitation in BSBCC, she now has the opportunity to live in the wild again!  Wawa moved to bear house on the 10th of October 2016. And, she took her first step into the forest on the 17th November 2016.  Wawa is an explorer. She loves to spend all day long in the forest!  Wawa has great enthusiasm! She shows her skills to survive in the forest, foraging food, building nests, climbing trees, and identifying threats.  After six years of rehabilitation in BSBCC, she gains strength, confidence and develops her independence. She now has a second chance to live in the wild! On 25th February 2022, our resident veterinarian, Dr Yeoh Boon Nie, assisted by the bear care team, conducted a final check-up on Wawa. After that, we transferred Wawa to a translocation cage, and her keeper cared for her wellbeing by closely monitoring from sedation to recovery. At 11.55pm in the midnight, the night sky was clear. The team loaded the cage onto a vehicle. Everything was ready! The bear release team and Wawa were set off for the forest reserves.  Our Founder & CEO, Dr Wong, was checking Wawa.  Dr Boon performed a simple check on Wawa’s condition to ensure she is fit for the reintroduction.  Dr Wong was checking Wawa’s collar to make sure the collar is functioning well.  After the check-up, the bear care team moved Wawa to the translocation cage.  Wawa was placed in the translocation cage, and a keeper closely monitored her from sedation to recovery.  At 11.55 in the midnight, the translocation cage was loaded on the vehicle. And, the bear release team and Wawa were ready to go! After few hours drive, we finally arrived. The sky was still dark. Wawa looked alert in the cage. The team wait for the sky to turn bright. The team then inspected the release site and made final preparations. When everything was ready, the moment finally came. Once the door opened at 6.29 am, Wawa ran out from the cage and soon she disappeared into the deep forest. It was an emotional moment to see her being released into the wild. The real freedom now belongs to Wawa. We hope she enjoys her new adventure in the wild. Her movement will be monitored via satellite collar by the BSBCC team. Stay wild, Wawa!  The team carried Wawa to the release spot.  Last feeding honey water to Wawa.  Wawa is finally home!  Stay wild, Wawa!  Let the new adventure begin, and this will be a good one! Last but not least, the BSBCC wants to thank the Sabah Forestry Department, the Sabah Wildlife Department, Yayasan Hasanah, Yayasan Sime Darby and everyone who has been following and supporting us. We can't do it without you. The pandemic covid-19 has affected our centre and caused a huge impact on our income from ecotourism and this is expected to last much longer. Your help will allow us to sustain our cause to promote sun bear conservation in Borneo through animal welfare, conservation, rehabilitation, education and research, giving captured sun bears a better home and restoring their right to live in the wild. Your support will make a difference in the life of the sun bear! Every little bit counts! For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.bsbcc.org.my/index.html.  Thank you for your love and support! We were honored to receive a visit from the CEO of Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) or Sime Darby Foundation, Dr. Hjh. Yatela Zainal Abidin, and a few of YSD Officers as a part of YSD’s visits to projects supported and funded by Yayasan Sime Darby in Sabah. YSD has been becoming the backbone of BSBCC since the early days of BSBCC and has supported BSBCC numerous times for the past few years. The group's arrival at the Centre was warmly greeted by the Founder and CEO of BSBCC, Dr. Wong Siew Te, and the team. They were personally guided by Dr. Wong to watch the sun bears residing in BSBCC forest enclosures, filled with information sharing among the two sides. The YSD’s group was also brought to take a closer look and witness the daily routines in the bear houses and were guided to the new shop building afterward. The visit was finished by 5 pm. The Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak which started in March 2020 hindered the entries of foreign visitors, bringing the tourism industry to a stop, thus affecting the Centre’s main revenue. Yayasan Sime Darby has spent a big amount of budget to fund the Centre’s operation and support it to go through a hard time. No words can describe how we are deeply grateful for the support given during the time. Thanks for everything Yayasan Sime Darby! #bsbcc #YayasanSimeDarby |
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