SMK Tongod Visit
Thank you to the students and teachers from SMK Tongod for visiting our Centre today! Your interest and support in sun bear conservation mean a lot to us. We hope you enjoyed the visit and are inspired to spread the word about protecting sun bears. See you guys again!
#schoolvisit #bear #sunbear #beruang #beruangmadu #beruangmatahari #lindungiberuangmadu #savesunbear #YayasanHasanah #KementerianKewanganMalaysia #malaysia #sabah #sandakan #sepilok #bsbcc #visitsabah #visitsandakan #wildlife #nature #rainforest
Kembara Jalur Gemilang and SMK Taman Fajar Exhibitions
We participated in two consecutive exhibitions in two days at Telupid and a secondary school, SMK Taman Fajar, Sandakan on the 21st and 22nd August 2024.
The first one, the Kembara Merdeka Exhibition 2024 was held at Institut Perhutanan Sabah (IPS) Hall, Telupid. Few departments and NGOs were invited to set exhibition booths as the public were visiting the event for the whole day. The event was intended to become a stop point for the convoy of the ‘Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang 2024’ heading to westward toward Ranau and was officiated by YBhg. Datuk Dr. Jonnybone J. Kurum, the State Hall Assembly Member of N.47 Telupid, Sabah.
The second exhibition was the Curriculum Fair at SMK Taman Fajar, Sandakan. BSBCC was invited to give a brief talk (plus quizzes) about the sun bear, conservation and nature, which is included in Science subject in the national syllabus. The programme was started with students were asked to imitate bear movement such as sniffing the scent, climbing trees and bear play-fighting. They also grabbed the chance to visit our exhibition booth.
Thank you to both Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia and SMK Taman Fajar for the invitations.
Sandakan Baptist Church Kindergarden and SK Batu 6 1/2 Segama, Lahad Datu Visits
Today, we were visited by two school groups from Baptist Church Kindergarten, Sandakan, and SK Batu 6 ½ Segama, Lahad Datu.
The groups were taken on a tour of the area, including the gallery, platforms, and the souvenir shop. The students were fascinated to see the sun bears for the first time and also spotted a pit viper resting on a tree. The activities included marking any animals, insects, or plants they observed around the observation platforms and filling in the blanks regarding bear anatomy and behavior. Everyone did an amazing job fulfilling their tasks.
Thank you for visiting us and we hope the students learned a lot about sun bears today. See you again next time!
International Orang Utan Day 2024
On August 17th to August 18th, 2024, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC) held a two-day awareness program in honor of International Orangutan Day. This event featured a wide range of interactive activities, such as educational booth exhibitions, Pongo Explorace, visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC), Coloring Competition, Fun Walk, and lucky draws. Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC) was invited in the event to raise public awareness of the Sun bear and forest conservation through engaging in fun educational activities including environmental board games and coloring of drawing pages and mask shaped Sun bear and Orangutan.
Pusat Tuisyen Cerdik Minda Visit
Thank you to Pusat Tuisyen Cerdik Minda for visiting us! The children enjoyed seeing the sun bears in the forest enclosure for the first time and learning about them. We hope you guys had a great time and learned about sun bears. Thank you, and see you again
Visit from H. E. Danielle Heinecke, High Commissioner
On 15 Aug 2024, we were honored to receive a visit from H. E. Danielle Heinecke, High Commissioner to Malaysia.
The delegates were welcomed by our CEO & Founder, Dr. Wong Siew Te. They were personally guided by Dr. Wong, with guided tour to view the bears from our observation platform.
A big thank you to the Australian High Commission to Malaysia for their visit and support!
Outreach to Sandakan Kindergarden Baptist Church
Today, our Environmental Education Unit and volunteers visited Sandakan Baptist Church Kindergarten to raise awareness about sun bears, particularly among children. The session featured an interactive talk on sun bears using Sunny the Sun Bear as a model, an interactive exhibition, and a mask colouring activity. Next week, the children will visit our Centre, and we are excited to welcome them.
Sun Bear Health Check at Matang Wildlife Centre
A heartfelt thank you to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) for inviting the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) to participate in their sun bear health screening event! Our team, together with many others assisted with conducting extensive health checks for all the sun bears, ensuring their well-being and contributing to their conservation. Together, we're making a difference for these incredible creatures.
#SunBearHealthScreening #WildlifeConservation
Photo Credit to Sarawak Forestry Corporation
Visit from Shaowu Municipal of People's Government of China, Vice Mayor Zhang Sheng
Yesterday, BSBCC received a visit from a delegate led by Yang Berhormat Frankie Poon, the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Member of N46. Tanjong Papat Sandakan cum the Chairman of DAP Sabah. The delegate was including the officials from the Shaowu Municipal of People's Government of China, Vice Mayor Zhang Sheng. Although it was already late in the evening, the delegates personally guided by Dr Wong managed to see some of the bears plus sharing and exchanging information between the two sides. We are truly honored to receive the visit, thank you!
Veterinary milestone: Visionary care in Bornean sun bear!
Mamatai, a 23-year-old female sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), recently faced a significant eye health challenge. Initially showing discomfort in her right eye, she was diagnosed with acute anterior lens luxation, where the lens had displaced into the anterior chamber, causing considerable intraocular pressure and discomfort. Immediate surgical intervention was necessary to relieve her pain, with options including lens extraction or enucleation.
We are grateful to Dr. Nadzariah Cheng, a veterinary ophthalmologist from Kuala Lumpur who flew in to perform the eye-saving surgery. Dr. Cheng successfully performed the delicate lens extraction surgery after logistical preparations. During the procedure, it was discovered that Mamatai's lens capsule had ruptured into the anterior chamber, requiring careful extraction of both the lens and the capsule itself.
Post-surgery, Mamatai's recovery was closely monitored. Although she experienced post-operative discomfort, such as scratching her right eye, there were no severe complications like excessive inflammation or infection. Remarkably, within 14 days, Mamatai's right eye had fully opened, showcasing a swift and effective recovery.
Despite some corneal damage affecting her vision in the right eye, the surgery was crucial in preserving her eyeball and managing the condition effectively. Additionally, early signs of cataracts were noted in her left eye, underlining the ongoing need for vigilance and potential future interventions.
Mamatai's case not only highlights the advanced veterinary care provided at BSBCC but also serves as a significant reference for cataract extraction procedures in sun bears. This successful outcome underscores the center's commitment to ensuring the welfare and health of its resident sun bears, enhancing our understanding and treatment of eye conditions in these remarkable animals.
Mamatai, a 23-year-old female sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), recently faced a significant eye health challenge. Initially showing discomfort in her right eye, she was diagnosed with acute anterior lens luxation. Her beautiful, striking, blue eyes will be missed
Dr. Cheng successfully performed the delicate lens extraction surgery after logistical preparations. During the procedure, it was discovered that Mamatai's lens capsule had ruptured into the anterior chamber, requiring careful extraction of both the lens and the capsule itself.
Yes this is how Mamatai usually sleeps.
Post-surgery, Mamatai is recovering very well and still getting used to the slight discomfort in her right eye. However, we see her opening her eye more often and responding well to her keepers wiping her eye and applying eye drops daily.
Outreach to Sebatik Island
On the 7th and 8th of August 2024, BSBCC joined an outreach programme to Sebatik Island, Tawau, Sabah, an island that is shared by two countries, Malaysia and Indonesia. This programme, ‘Program Outreach Pendidikan Alam Sekitar Hutan Bakau’ (Environmental Education Outreach (Mangrove Forest) Programme) aimed to expose the community and the students in Sebatik Island on the importance of conservation of biodiversity, plants, wildlife and ecosystem balance in especially on the conservation of mangrove forest.
The programme was organised by Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and co-organised by Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Orangutan Appeal UK (OAUK), Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC), and BSBCC. A total of 6 schools and 6 villages joined the 2-days programme with visitors seized the chance to visit exhibitions booths and engaging with the exhibitors, doing fun and interactive activities and listening to informative talks from the organiser and participating organisations.
The programme wrapped up with the closing ceremony officiated by Yang Berhormat Datuk Hassan A. Gani Pg. Amir, the Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly of Sebatik. Big thanks to the organiser for inviting us to make this programme a success!
School kids in Sandakan meet Dr. Sarah Pye!
During the past 2 days, BSBCC, together with Dr Sarah Pye visited 2 schools in Sandakan; Vision Primary School and SJK (C) Pei Ying. Interactive activities that introduced threatened wildlife species were conducted. The students had fun learning about sun bears, orangutans, rhinos and bearded pigs that are found in Borneo. Dr Sarah also shared about unique wildlife species found in Australia!
On the second day, Dr Sarah also shared an inspirational talk about her life journey and her passion in wildlife conservation among secondary school students at Vision Secondary School Sandakan.
BSBCC is very privileged to learn so much from Dr. Sarah throughout her sessions conducted with the kids. We would like to take this opportunity to thank teachers and students of SJK (C) Pei Ying and Vision School Sandakan for their warm hospitality during our visit.
Dr. Sarah Pye is the author of the Wildlife Wong book series and Saving Sun Bears.
Check out her website here: www.sarahrpye.com
And her books can be purchased here:
