School Talk Sparked The Bear Adventure
Text by Seah Yi Thoeng
Haloooo! I’m Yi Thoeng. This journey didn’t start the day I stepped into BSBCC, it truly began a year ago when Dr. Wong visited my school. His stories about rescued bears, rehabilitation, and conservation opened my eyes and stirred something in me. That talk didn’t just teach me, it inspired me to take action — to be part of something real, something meaningful. I’ve loved animals since I was a kid, so the idea of working with them felt like a dream waiting for the right moment. When the opportunity to volunteer finally came, I knew I had to take it. It was a chance to get closer to and understand these adorable creatures, the SUN BEARS. I was so excited to meet the world’s smallest bear with my own eyes. That’s how I found myself here today, volunteering at BSBCC
To be honest, my volunteer journey at BSBCC turned out very different from what I expected. I thought it would be tough and challenging, but surprisingly, it became a fun and relaxing experience. It was physically demanding, of course but somehow, I managed to cope with everything we had to do. Maybe that’s what made the whole experience even more meaningful. When I first arrived, the bear houses were filled with sun bears, and I remember feeling a little overwhelmed. They all looked the same to me at first glance, and I struggled to tell them apart. But as the days passed, I began to recognize familiar faces and unique chest marks. It wasn’t easy, but that’s when I realized how truly special each bear is in their own way. All of them had something that made them unforgettable but one bear, BJ, completely stole my heart.
BJ had a name that stood out from the rest. It was the first one I remembered, probably because it sounded a bit like my own nickname, YT. He’s smaller than most of the other bears, but to me, he’s the cutest sun bear I’ve ever met. I decided to make an enrichment just for him, with help from my buddy, Izlan. While I prepared the fruits for the Aussie Ball, Izlan helped me hang the hammock. We also gathered a big tree branch that had fallen inside the jungle, along with some dried leaves, to set up BJ’s cage. Watching BJ play with the Aussie Ball and then lie down to enjoy his treats was such a heart-melting moment. I truly hope the enrichment we made brought him comfort.
One of my favorite activities was feeding time. Walking from one pen to another to give the sun bears their food was always so much fun. They looked incredibly cute while eating. Sometimes the cheeky monkeys would show up and try to steal their food, poor sun bears! But honestly, they seemed pretty unfazed by the monkeys’ presence. In the wild, monkeys and sun bears often share the same forest space. The monkeys are quick, curious, and always looking for easy snacks, while sun bears are calm and usually don’t bother chasing them away. It’s a funny relationship almost like the monkeys treat the sun bears as neighbours with good food, and the bears just tolerate their antics. Overall, it was such a wonderful and meaningful volunteer experience at BSBCC. Thank you to Dr. Wong, Izlan, and all the staff who made this journey so memorable. I really cherish every moment, and I hope I’ll be back one day!
A comfort home for BJ. I wanted to build something that could bring comfort to BJ. A place for him to rest, play, and feel secure. Little by little, with inspiration from everything I’ve learned, the idea grew into a hammock. Nothing fancy, just something made with care, patience, and a lot of knots. Couldn’t have finished the hammock without my buddy Izlan, thanks for the help!
Before I let the bears have it, I tried sitting on it myself. I wanted to feel what they would feel, to know if it was strong enough, if it held well, if it felt right. It might sound funny, but that small moment mattered to me. Only after I tested it and felt confident did I step back and finally let them explore it on their own.
From the first rope to the final knot, it took me several days to finish this hammock. I imagine BJ exploring it, climbing, lounging, and having fun!
I never went feeding with empty hands.. my bucket in one hand, my camera in the other. While we moved from pen to pen, I’d sneak little moments to capture the bears enjoying their food. Their crunching, their focus, their happy little faces… feeding time isn’t just routine, it’s full of tiny sweet moments worth remembering. And I’m glad I got to freeze some of them through my lens. There she was Romolina with her banana, tucked away from prying eyes. She tried to hide it from me, but her tiny back told the whole story.
Not every day is about food or play. Sometimes, it’s about just sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the world, like Joe here, soaking up a quiet moment with no worries at all.
Here’s Bintang, standing tall as she inspects every single piece of her food, making sure she doesn’t leave a thing behind. Nothing escapes her careful watch!
