From Sweden to Malaysia
It all begins with an idea.
Text by Jennifer Ekström
Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
My name is Jennifer Ekström and I am 18 years old. I come from Stockholm, Sweden where I study animal care. I am in my final year of studying and I got the opportunity to go to Borneo and volunteer at BSBCC as my final internship. I have now been here volunteering for five weeks and it has been one of the best five weeks of my life and I am really sad to leave. This has been an amazing opportunity that I have wished to do ever since I heard about it when I started at my school. All the work we do here at the center have been fun but also hard and challenging.
The work during normal days is often similar, in the bear house there is a schedule for the week where you can see what you are supposed to do every day. Some of the work that we do every day is preparing all the food for the bears, clean cages, give medicine and more. Out of that we have went out to collect banana leaves, termites and done a lot of enrichments. The enrichments usually contain of banana and peanut butter wrapped in leaves or wood. The bears always seem to enjoy the enrichments so that makes it fun for me to prepare them. The last week I started my bigger enrichment project together with my buddy Azwie. We used an old enrichment that the bears didn’t use and improved it. The enrichment is now inside of Pandas cage and I hope she likes it.
The staff at BSBCC are all very friendly and helpful, they all have made the work a lot easier and funnier. They are all welcoming and always take good care of you and the bears. It has been fun to get to know and work with all of them. They are always checking up on you so that everything is good cause of the hard work and the heat. I am definitely going to miss all of the staff here at BSBCC.
I have learned a lot of new things about the bears, the rainforest and about the culture. The time here has been wonderful even though as a Swede that are not used to it, had to live with the heat, humid air, insects and of course the leaches. A few years ago, I would have been too scared to do this but I have never regretted my choice of applying to this internship at BSBCC. I am so grateful that I got this opportunity from my school, these five weeks have gone to fast and I am not ready to go home yet. I am really going to miss all of it!
My internship at BSBCC
It all begins with an idea.
Text by Jasmine Stark
Photos by Jude Ailton George & Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
I came to BSBCC through my school, they sent me to have my internship here for five weeks. Since I started my school, all that I worked for was to be able to come here, I will be forever thankful towards my school and all the people at BSBCC for giving me this opportunity.
My time at BSBCC has been nothing short of incredible. I came here with little knowledge about sun bears and I will be leaving this place filled with new facts and experiences with this species. I am incredibly thankful for the bear keepers and other staff that I have gotten to know during this period. I will miss them and all the beautiful sun bears that I have cared for during my time here. I will definitely not forget Romolina and her peaceful sleeping in trees.
These five weeks have been filled with different tasks, challenges and opportunities. I have performed the usual husbandry tasks and maintenance tasks such as feeding bears, checking the fences and cleaning the enclosures. One of the larger challenges at the beginning might have been the leeches (!) since we don’t have those back in Sweden but I quickly got used to them. The experience here outweighs the challenge of those leeches by miles. Not only have I done these tasks, I have also taken with me a bunch of new enrichment ideas back to Sweden, and I have created multiple enrichments for the bears themselves such as “trisslott” and the smaller stick paradox enrichments. Thank you to my buddy Neal for making this experience even better!
I also got to take part of a health check in which I was allowed to clean paws and take temperature, I’ll never forget that close contact with the bear.
Experiencing the Kinabatangan River Cruise was a great activity on my off days, being able to see so many animals up close without disturbing them is a great way to observe the wildlife, I was lucky enough to spot the rare wrinkled hornbill!
I honestly lack words, this internship has been nothing short of amazing and I do not want to leave. I will never forget the work, the people or the sunbears, I am forever grateful!
Outreach to SK Labuk Subur
It all begins with an idea.
Thanks to KLK Sawit Nusantara invitation, we reached another school at SK Labuk Subur in the district of Beluran. Sabah Wildlife Department (Sandakan) and HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme (HUTAN-KOCP) joined us and having fun together while engaging the students and the teachers. The organiser and all invited participants provided information on their respective field of expertise while engaging the targets in a fun and lively manner. Thanks KLK Sawit Nusantara for the invitation, BSBCC will be always looking forward to cooperate for any future programme.
Community Outreach
It all begins with an idea.
on Wildlife Conservation Awareness and Education Programme to Kg. Litang
On the 16th of February 2023, BSBCC EE Unit organised another community outreach to Kampung Litang Kinabatangan. Invited together were Sabah Wildlife Department (Kinabatangan District) and Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC). Although facing several issues before the execution of the programme (the village was hit by flood a week before), the programme was successfully carried out and attracted a number of villagers.
Focusing on the wildlife conflict and legal issues, the programme was intended to initiate joint cooperation between the villagers, and state department, and related NGOs in wildlife conservation. Feedbacks from some of the villagers were positive and encouraging, and we are looking forward to seeing more engagement among them to promote wildlife conservation and living harmoniously with them.
Special thanks to: Hap Seng Plantation Sdn Bhd (Sungai Segama Group) – for granting us entry to the village and providing free accommodation to the organiser and participants Teachers of SK Litang – for facilitating the communication between the organiser and the village community (special acknowledgement to Mr. Gusmit Hj Ning and Mr. Asri) Sabah Wildlife Department (Kinabatangan) – for joining the programme and enabling us to engage the community (special acknowledgement to Mdm Sylvia Alsisto) Sabah Wildlife Department (SORC) – for involving in the prior planning for the outreach programme.
A New Experience!
Text by Alba Nanna Ricking Simoncini
Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
Hi my is Alba Nanna Ricking Simoncini, I am an 18-year-old student from Stockholm Sweden. I have volunteered here at BSBCC for five weeks now. I got this volunteering opportunity through my school, Spånga gymnasium. In Sweden I study animal care and this was a great opportunity to further my knowledge.
These five weeks have gone by so fast it feels like only yesterday I saw the bears and the centre for the first time. When I first saw the centre and the bear house, I knew that I would have really fun here! My first week here was both amazing and super exhausting. I both saw and learned so many new things that I would have never learned in Sweden. This was my first-time seeing sun bears in person, they were much smaller and cuter than I had anticipated! I immediately liked Romolina the most since she looked so adorable sleeping in the trees and she looked especially cute eating carrots. Another bear that I really liked was Kukuton, during fence training with him I really saw how interesting of a bear he was and his backstory really interested me as well, which is why I chose to make my enrichment project for him. I told my buddy David about my idea and with the help of some of the other bear keepers we built it, the saws used for the wood were bad so my arms got really tired. My enrichment idea was a ladder built out of wood that the bears can climb on and play on. Kukuton was a bit skeptical towards it and didn’t really like it but his cage mate Betung and Itam had fun on it and I saw them play on it as well.
Kukuton's ladder enrichment with help from my buddy David and Yuery
Both the work and the off days have been really fun even though it has been tiring sometimes, we tried a lot of new good food as well with the staff which was really fun, and I am really going to miss Milo when I go back to Sweden. My favorite Food was Roti canai! We saw lots of new exciting animals here as well that I have never seen before such as; proboscis monkeys, macaques, big centipedes, hornbills and of course the sunbear! When we walked into the forest to look for termite nests we even saw a wild orang utan!!
Helping to fix the platform in Pen E for Panda. Tiring but so much fun!
A cute ginger leaf bouquet enrichment for the bears!
The staff was really kind to us and really fun to talk to, they taught me lot of Malay words as well such as terima kasih. It was fun to get to know lots of new people from around the world and to hear about their experiences when working with animals and travelling.
Thank you to BSBCC team for the wonderful time!
TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Text by Gillian Gabriel (UMS Intern Student)
Photos by Chiew Lin May
This story is about Kina, BJ, Sika and Soo being released to the forest enclosure for the first time in their lives!
Attempt in releasing Kina
Among the four bears, Kina appears to be more curious about her surroundings because she is the first one that was brave enough to go out on the first day of the release. Although on the first day she spent most of the time staying on the ramp, she managed to pull herself out of her comfort zone. On the third day, Kina gracefully went out to grab some food and ate it. While enjoying all the fruits, there was the sounds of a chainsaw and blower. She continued to enjoy eating her food and went back inside the cage right after she finished eating. It seems that to Kina, food is way more important than anything else and nothing else can distract her while she is eating!
However, moments later, Kina decided to go out again and explore the surroundings. She continuously went back inside the cage every time she went out. Kina seemed so relaxed being in the outside world as she roamed around gracefully and used her incredible sense of smell to sniff around the area.
On the fourth day of release, Kina was now confident to go outside. She roamed around the forest enclosure, foraged, and at some point, she also dug the woods and the ground to find some termites to eat. Due to her high curiosity, she managed to explore almost the whole of the forest enclosure!
Apart from that, Kina is also an expert in climbing. She appears to be the most outgoing bear as she loves exploring the world by climbing up trees and enrichment. By doing so, she gets to see different parts of the forest enclosure from different views.
Kina is happy because she gets to enjoy the enrichment that was built by the bear keepers and the previous volunteer.
It was on a rainy day when Kina suddenly decided to climb up a tree. Kina is known to be the most active bear among her other friends and that is not just because she is the first one to go out into the forest enclosure, but it is because she normally prefers to live in solitary by isolating herself on top of a tree or an enrichment. Even before she was released to the forest enclosure, she loved spending her time alone, resting and climbing.
Attempt in releasing BJ
At first, BJ was afraid to go outside. He would normally stay on the ramp and watch from afar. However, his curiosity has built up as he saw his friend, Kina, gracefully walking alone at the forest enclosure. Determined enough to step out, he finally, most likely slowly, went out to the forest enclosure to experience the outside world himself. It was soon enough when BJ finally felt secure when he stepped outside. He began to love being outside.
BJ still in doubt whether or not he wanted to go outside.
Not feeling sure enough, he just spent the entire time resting on the ramp and looking at the forest enclosure from afar. Questioning whether or not he should give it a try.
Finally, he decided to go down.
Slowly but surely.
His natural instinct kicked in as he inhaled the smell of the earth.
Now that he finally has begun to trust the outside world, he has no problem enjoying his delicious food in the forest enclosure.
Attempt in releasing Sika
On the first day of releasing Sika to the forest enclosure, it was really a tough one as she refused to go out, even with many trials. Food was scattered all over the place so that she had the urge to go outside. She normally stayed on the ramp and instead of pulling herself out to experience the forest enclosure on her own, she remained still. She was not curious enough to explore the outside world and apparently, she loves staying in her comfort zone. She loves staying where she feels at ease.
Battling with her own thoughts, Sika finally made a decision to go out. But the only way she got distracted and was willing to go down was when honey was applied all over the stairs. With that, she got distracted by the delicious and sweet taste.
She climbed down step by step, licking the delicious honey that was in her way. What a great start she thought to herself.
Now that she was finally out, she got super curious with her surroundings. She was pretty amazed by the new place that she was introduced to. A new home with a lot more to explore.
Getting super curious, she sniffed around the forest enclosure, foraging and roaming around. Then she slowly started to like the outside world more than where she used to be. The taste of freedom was now in her bones.
Realizing how big the forest enclosure is, Sika then gets super comfortable staying outside. Bigger space for her to roam around. Even though she took a long time to finally decide to go out compared to her two other friends, BJ and Kina, she is the one who spends a long time in the forest enclosure. There are times when she does not go back to the cage at all. Sika also loves climbing as much as Kina does, she will spend most of the time on the tree and not want to go down.
Attempt in releasing Soo
Being kept as a pet at a very young age makes Soo less confident to interact with the outside world. Traumatized by her past, she is less active than the rest. Days of attempting to release Soo to the forest enclosure have been difficult as she only stays on the ramp or inside the cage. Not brave enough to go out.
However, she still tries to fight her trauma by taking baby steps and she still tries to build up all her courage. Even though she only stays on the ramp most of the time, she is still able to witness the outside world from the cage.
Instead of using the stairs as the trail to go down, she climbed down from the ramp. This shows that Soo is really attempting to go out. However, she still needs time to be fully ready.
I hope that in the future, all of the bears, Kina, BJ, Sika, and Soo are comfortable enough to stay outside in the forest enclosure. They were kept as pets before, and being kept inside a house has now built curiosity for some of them, such as Sika and Kina. This is why when introduced to the outside world, they got so excited and preferred to stay outside. The taste of freedom excites them. However, this does not apply to BJ and Soo. Instead of building curiosity, they are in fear. Fear of what the outside world is actually like. It takes time for them to build up their trust. With that, a release to the forest enclosure is a great opportunity to give them the life that they deserve and to promote their natural instincts.
Returning to BSBCC
Text by Khushalinie Kalayarasu
Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
Having volunteered before at BSBCC in August 2016, I was fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to relive this experience once again to advance a good cause in the name of wildlife conservation. My journey continued when I was exposed to the daily operations and the importance of management at running the centre. I quickly recalled the ultimate goal of the conservation centre was to rehabilitate any rescued endangered Bornean sun bears with the hopes of releasing them back into the wild one day.
Despite a short lived 2 weeks experience, it was an unforgettable and enjoyable experience. Some tasks were unfamiliar, but others had a feeling of déjà vu especially the part where I was able to recognize some of the bears, Amaco, Linggam and Simone which I had a privilege to work with previously. Even with certain tasks being physically challenging, I was able to persevere with the help and patience of the team. It was with their unwavering support that I had gained new knowledge and could perform procedures in an orderly manner. At every juncture of my doubt and query, everyone was also readily available to answer about the behaviours of the bears and clarify on some of the tasks.
On one lucky day, I even had the chance to observe and assist Dr Boon with a bear health check. It was truly insightful to observe the procedures she carried out. With my minimal experience in a clinical setting, I learned and understood that multiple aspects of the animal should be continuously monitored by the team without fail otherwise the bear would be in grave danger.
Reminiscing my previous experience at BSBCC, this conservation centre has come a long way. From having just one viewing platform, they have now expanded into a huge operation with 2 platforms, providing a better view of the bears to the public. The determination of the founder and staff in growing this centre shows persistent effort really bears fruition if pursued. A must have resilience in wildlife conservation which I hope to replicate in my own life.
On this experience alone, I have gained a valuable perspective on wildlife conservation and understood more about the amount of detailed effort which goes into the rehabilitation process. I owe this wonderful experience to the team at BSBCC. Everyone has been very friendly and pleasant, making BSBCC a place to remember! Special thanks to Dr Wong, Dr Boon, Pradeep, Jac, my buddy (Oliver) and every single one of the supportive team for their hospitality and invaluable wisdom. I envision to return on a third adventure soon, with a greater hunger for more.
Log#2
Yours truly,
Khusha
Bear Claws High Five xx
SK. Gabungan Telupid visit
Thank you, SK Gabungan Telupid, for visiting us yesterday. We are glad that they come from a distant location and chose to visit BSBCC for their school day-trip programs. They are given a guided tour to the observation platform to see the bear roaming in the forest enclosure of BSBCC.
We hope they enjoyed their time here, gained some knowledge about sun bears, and spread our words to save the smallest bear species in the world.
Educational Outreach Program to SJK(C) Yuk Choi, Sandakan
BSBCC EE Unit was invited by KLK Sawit Nusantara Bhd to carry out an educational outreach programme to SJK (C) Yuk Choi, Sandakan yesterday on the 14th February 2023. Tagged along with us throughout the programme was HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Program (HUTAN-KOCP). Activities such as exhibitions, interactive talks and coloring the wildlife mask were included to attract students of different age groups, suiting their comprehension level. The presence of Sunny the Sun Bear also livened up the programme as the kids expressed their excitement on him.
We strongly believe education on wildlife conservation must start from our youngsters, so they can be the next generation continuing our job in the future. They will become the voice of the voiceless: nurturing them to love the wildlife will be the first step of all.
School Visits
from SK. Tanjong Aru, SK. St. Mary Labuk, SK. Sangau Kinabatangan and SK. Pulau Bum Bum Semporna.
We received four group visits in one day yesterday. These group visits are from SK Tanjong Aru, SK St. Mary Labuk, SK Sangau Kinabatangan, and SK Pulau Bum Bum Semporna. We are delighted that they chose to visit us for their school trip program.
The groups are briefed on the safety rules by our Environmental Education Officers, and they are brought to the observation platform to see the sun bears roaming in the natural forest enclosures. Also, we conducted the "Bear Observation" activity with each group of schools, where they needed to observe what the bears were doing in the forest enclosures and relate it to the bears' role in the forest.
We hope they had a great time here and gained some new knowledge about sun bears while helping us spread awareness by sharing their experiences with their friends and family. Thank you!
Volunteering at BSBCC
Text by Leah December Derksen
Photos by Jude Ailton George
I spent two weeks volunteering at BSBCC in January 2023. I am on a quest to learn from grassroots conservation centres, and was therefore excited to discover the work being done at BSBCC by Dr. Wong and his team. A naturally curious person by nature, I was full of questions, both mundane and arcane. The keepers and Dr Wong himself were happy to oblige me, doing their best to satisfy my never-ending queries. I am grateful for their generosity in sharing their knowledge and their patience.
Making enrichment for Mary!
When participating in new experiences time seems to fly by, and my time at BSBCC was no exception, as was the consensus amongst the other volunteers. Some learning curves were quickly mastered, like learning not to turn on the hose when the end is directly in your boot. Others were not so easy, like learning to visually identify each bear. Gradually the individuality of each bear became apparent, though I can’t say I came away entirely victorious in my identification skills.
Daily activities contained enough repetition to enable me to gain comfort and confidence with the tasks assigned, but enough variation to keep me engaged and constantly learning. The bears and the forest hold many wonders and I am thankful to have had an opportunity to have a glimpse of their lives.
While the bears are steal-your-heart adorable, it is worth repeating that BSBCC is doing the best they can, but ideally their bears would not be in captivity in the first place, which is largely due to the pet trade. It results in bears like dear old Amaco who was kept in captivity for 18 years before coming to BSBCC and was 30 years old at the time of my visit, who is unwilling to go outside, no matter how much coaxing the keepers do. He will never experience life in the forest. All he knows and will ever know is the confines of a cage. While carefully cared for by the keepers, his best life would have been in the forest.
Despite volunteers having only a short time at BSBCC, our role is not over when we leave. Advocacy remains one of the strongest tools of conservationists. So, share this message when you go home: wild animals belong in the wild. A bear or any other wild animal does not belong in your home. In the event of injury or orphaning, they should be cared for by those who know how to give them the best chance of returning to their natural homes. No matter how cute, no matter how unique, no matter how interesting, let’s leave the wild in the wilderness.
Also, continue to support the work of BSBCC and other agencies like it. Running NGOs is a constant fight for funding, so give financial support when you can. If you cannot contribute financially, lend your voice publicly, whether on social media or by telling your friends, family, and colleagues about your experience. Bears and the forest are not indestructible. If we do not work to protect them as Dr. Wong and his team are doing, they will not remain forever. Because it is due to human activity that their safety is threatened, it is our responsibility as a species to own up to and fix our mistakes.
From the bottom of my heart, BSBCC, thank-you for the experience I had here and all the work that goes on behind the scenes to further a mission that at times seems futile. Your work is appreciated and valued. For those considering volunteering at BSBCC, it will be a rewarding experience that you won’t easily forget.
Searching for termite mounds as a source of enrichment and extra protein for the bears!
Sika - Born To Be Wild
Text by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
We are pleased to share that we have released our 12th bear into the wild! Our candidate was Sika, first rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department on the 9th February 2017 and set free exactly 6 years later on the 10th February 2023.
Sika was spotted by a foreigner who was travelling through a rural area called Kampung Sikalabaan in Pensiagan district, Sabah. She was found as a 4-month-old bear cub that was kept as a pet in a chicken mesh cage and was fed condensed milk, fruits and cereal. He then decided to call BSBCC and asked for help rescuing this bear cub. Sika first arrived BSBCC on March 1st, 2017. As a cub, she had strikingly beautiful blue eyes and eventually with extra love and patience she managed to overcome her traumatic past and developed into a lovely and playful bear cub. Her keepers at the time helped to teach her as much forest skills they could such as climbing, digging and foraging. She was off to a good start! She slowly gained the confidence as a young cub to develop the skills needed to survive outside in the forest.
Sika our 55th Rescue first came into BSBCC weighing only 4.8kg at 4 months old. We immediately fell in love with her beautiful chest mark and blue eyes. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
Sika is curious, playful and energetic as a cub. When she lost her mother, BSBCC’s keepers became her surrogate mother. They filled her cages with lots of enrichment to encourage natural bear behaviors. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
As days passed on, Sika slowly learnt how to be a real bear! She loved climbing and is a natural in the forest. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
As she grew older, she made new friends – BJ, Soo and Kina. These four were integrated while they were in the quarantine area together forming a close bond with each other. Eventually in 2020, the group was moved to the bear house where they could start their fence training before going out to the forest enclosure! Sika was the last to pass fence training but when she was finally out in the forest enclosure, she showed her amazing climbing skills. Always spending the longest in the forest enclosure usually up high in the trees and sometimes not wanting to come back to her cage! Spotting her from the perimeters of the fence was very hard as she mostly spent her time deep inside the forest not wanting our attention. A shy bear at nature and a master of disguise with her dark snout always hiding in the bushes. Occasionally we would be able to spot her resting in the hollows of a dead tree.
Sika, Soo and Kina – a loving trio. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
BJ came to BSBCC in 2018 and was introduced to Sika, Kina and Soo. The trio have now become a quartet. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
Sika doing what she does best - hanging out in trees, curiously sniffing out invertebrates. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
Sika - a shy bear at nature and a master of disguise with her dark snout. She is usually hiding herself in the bushes. ©BSBCC / Chiew Lin May
The team set up camera traps in the enclosure to learn more about Sika’s behavior. We found out that she has made a cozy bedroom in the hole of a dead tree.
In her free time, she enjoys digging into dead logs searching for crunchy ant snacks!
9th February 2023
It is finally the day to get Sika ready for her release! At 3pm, Dr Yeoh Boon Nie and the bear care team prepared all things necessary to relocate Sika into her translocation cage. After a last health assessment and a collar change, she was placed into the cage and was closely monitored by her keeper. By 12am, the team loaded her up onto the car and started their long journey to Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Few stops were made to check on Sika’s condition, feeding her some banana and honey water to keep her hydrated for the journey.
Dr Wong Siew Te and the team conducting the final health check on Sika! Her collar had to be changed as the signal of the previous collar was malfunctioning. Extra measures to ensure a smoother release for Sika!
Fluids are delivered subcutaneously to keep Sika hydrated for the long journey.
Dr Boon and keeper Jude monitoring Sika as she wakes up from sedation. Giving her small amounts of food and some water when she is finally fully conscious.
The team loading Sika up into the car! She is finally ready to start her long journey to her new home where she truly belongs. We are praying for a safe journey and wishing good luck to the team and Sika.
10th February 2023
The team arrived Tabin Forest Reserve at 6am but unfortunately the weather was not on our side which caused some delays with the helicopter coming to relocate Sika. She was a little restless in the cage, but calmed down after the team put her by the river to cool down. Once the skies cleared up, the helicopter arrived at 10.15am. It’s go time!
Sika was restless after the long car ride to Tabin Forest Reserve. A cool down by the river managed to calm her down before embarking on the last leg of the trip.
Finally, the skies cleared up and the helicopters have arrived. You’re almost home, Sika!
After touchdown, the team made the last preparations and inspected the release site. When everything was set in place, it was finally time to let Sika free! We opened her translocation cage door at 12.11pm and Sika immediately ran out. Still in sight, she slowly and calmly explored her new environment until she went deeper into the forest. In a blink of an eye she was gone.
Words cannot describe the joy we felt seeing Sika back in the wild, where she truly belongs. Run free beautiful Sika, may you never encounter another human again!
Team work makes the dream work! Thank you to everyone involved in Sika’s release back to the wild. We are also grateful to the BBC filming crew for helping us spread the news about sun bear conservation.
©BSBCC / Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
BSBCC would like to give a huge thank you Yayasan Sime Darby and Hasanah Foundation for their continuous support towards our rehabilitation program. Other than our rehabilitation program, their contribution towards our efforts in promoting sun bear conservation, animal welfare, education and research have greatly helped support our cause. Thank you for giving captive bears like Sika a better life and also a fighting chance to be returned to the wild.
©BSBCC / Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh
Remembering Rungus
Once a star of BSBCC, always seen climbing and playing with her other friends like Fulung and Julaini. Now, she is one with the stars in the sky forever shining bright.
Rungus developed neurological syndrome since last year. After almost a year of fighting with this prolonged sickness and many months of different treatments, Rungus' condition has declined. It was decided that she shall not suffer any longer.
Rungus was euthanised on the 4th February 2023 and it was a sad time for everyone.
Rungus taught us the courage of life. She was cooperative to all kinds of treatment. We are amazed by her never-give-up attitude. As the disease progress gradually, Rungus learnt to cope with the deficit. Trust and bonding formed in between Rungus and her carekeepers. Life comes, life goes. Rungus lives on in our heart.
RIP Rungus
Program SERASI: Cintai Alam Sekitar at SK Tangkungon, Telupid
We are glad to be part of the "Program SERASI: Cintai Alam Sekitar" that was held by SK. Tangkungon this week. Together with our conservation partners, HUTAN-KOCP, Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sabah Wildlife Department, and Orangutan Appeal UK, we can raise awareness among teachers and students about the importance of nature and wildlife conservation. We hope that such a programme will be held again in the future so that we can encourage the young to love and protect nature and wildlife.
#environmentaleducation #bsbcc #savesunbear #lovenature #savewildlife #conservation
School Visit from SK Sentosa Jaya, Kinabatangan
We are happy to welcome teachers and students from SK Sentosa Jaya, Kinabatangan to our Centre today! BSBCC's Environmental Education Officer, Haniff gave them a tour around the sun bear observation area and conducted the sun bear explorer activity, where the students get to learn about sun bears through the activity book while observing the bears in the enclosure. Thanks SK Sentosa Jaya for visiting us, we hope to see you again next time!
