RESCUE BEAR 64

ITAM

AGE: 1 Yr Old

SEX: Female

MEANING OF NAME: The name is given by her owner. Itam means black in Malay language.
 
HISTORY: Itam was originally from Kg Maimatom, Kemabong. She was found in an orchard at Kg. Kuala Sabinait, Pagalungan, Nabawan on the 3rd of June 2020. The owner of the orchard heard his dogs were barking and then he found a bear cub without a mother bear beside her. At that time, Itam had appeared weak and was found with some dog bite wounds on her. The owner decided to rescue the cub. After keeping her for 21 days, he decided to surrender Itam to Sabah Wildlife Department on the 24th of June and she was kept at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park. Itam came to BSBCC on the 27th of July, 2020. Unfortunately, we found that she has a severe dental problem during her general body checkup. Her stress-related behaviour - cage biting may cause it.
 
PERSONALITY: On her arrival, her weight was 11 kg. Itam is a pretty bear. She has a shiny coat and a unique chest mark. Itam is not fussy about food. Her favourite foods are milk, egg and fruits.
 
Itam is very alert to the environment. Sometimes she could be frightened easily. She likes to observe. She always keeps her eyes wide open to observe the surroundings. Once she feels threatened, she charges and warns others to stay away. Most of the time, Itam is shy. She always keeps her movement low and cautiously. She enjoys every little thing, such as a small branch or a soft towel. She loves to rest on the platform. The basket is her favourite place to hide. She always stands up peeking and then hide in the basket again. She doesn’t bother you if you keep a distance from her. Itam always looks up and wonders as if she had many thoughts in her head. On 30th July 2020, Itam and Kipaku have met each other for the first time. They spend a great deal of their time together and enjoy the various enrichment given by their keepers.
 
Itam is still adapting to the new environment now. Her eyes look alert with fear. It will take her more time to adapt to her new surroundings. However, we are so glad that she is improving day by day. We believe that she will grow stronger and learn forest skills that could help her to survive in the wild in the future.