𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐦'𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

With heavy hearts, we share the loss of Itam, a 5-year-old female sun bear who was released into Tabin Wildlife Reserve on 10 March 2025 as part of BSBCC’s 13th hard release program.

Itam’s journey began in 2020 when she was rescued as a vulnerable cub from an orchard in Nabawan. Shy, cautious, and fiercely alert, she spent five years under our care - learning to forage, climb, and reclaim her wild instincts. Her forest skills made her a strong candidate for release.

After her release, Itam remained close to the mud volcano, exploring her new home, and slowly wandering further away from her release site. Tragically, on 29 April, we received a mortality signal from her tracking collar. A search team later recovered her collar and skeletal remains beneath a tree, suggesting a fatal fall. Forensic findings point to trauma in her pelvic and spinal regions, though other factors - like competition, food scarcity, or survival challenges - cannot be ruled out.

While this outcome is deeply saddening, Itam’s story is not one of failure. It is a testament to the complexity of rewilding and the courage of a bear who tried. Her life and loss will guide us in refining our rehabilitation and release strategies, ensuring future bears have an even better chance at thriving in the wild.

To the keepers who nurtured her, the field teams who searched for her, and the partners who supported this mission, we would like to say thank you for all your support. And to Itam - may the forest remember your footsteps, however brief they were.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐦

Even in her earliest days, she showed signs of her wild instincts always alert to her surroundings, quick to retreat when uncertain, and never seeking to be the center of attention. Her cautious and observant nature made her different, showing that even from the start, she carried the instincts of a true forest bear

𝐀 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭-𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭

As she grew older in rehabilitation, those early instincts only became stronger. Itam often chose to sleep high in the trees, a place where she felt safest, and preferred to remain hidden from human eyes. Keepers rarely saw more than a glimpse of her

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐦

According to her movement patterns, Itam grew comfortable around her release site. As a curious and newly free bear, she ventured further into unfamiliar territory, but due to unknown circumstances, she did not make it. The team responded immediately to the mortality signal, pushing through rivers, rugged terrain, and dense forest until they managed to locate her collar. Though the search ended in loss, it stands as a reminder of the challenges of survival in the wild and the dedication poured into every life we return to the forest.

Although Itam’s life ended earlier than we had hoped, her story reflecting of the difficult and often fragile existence of sun bears in the wild. Beyond natural dangers, sun bears continue to face human threats such as poaching, deforestation, and the illegal pet trade. Each loss underscores why it is so important to protect their habitats, stop wildlife trafficking, and respect sun bears as wild animals who belong in the forest not in cages or as pets.

Her story calls on us, it is within our power to change that.