The Start of a Bear-y Special Friendship

Integration plays an important role in the rehabilitation journey of rescued cubs. Besides helping them develop social skills and confidence, these interactions allow them to seek companionship, engage in play, and build bonds. Through these experiences, they grow stronger and learn essential skills from each other, while also practicing natural behaviors that are important for their continued growth and development

Manja, a confident and active cub who enjoys climbing and exploring her surroundings, was recently introduced to Sandokan, an energetic and highly playful cub who is always eager to interact, whether with keepers or fellow cubs.

The introduction session began through a small opening in the sliding door, allowing both cubs to safely observe each other from a distance. Initial cautious behavior was shown, particularly by Manja, while Sandokan appeared highly curious and repeatedly attempted to initiate interaction by pawing towards Manja and opening her mouth in preparation for playfighting.

As both cubs became more comfortable, the sliding door was slowly opened wider so they could interact more closely. Soon after, they started playing together with chasing, wrestling, and gentle biting, with Sandokan often initiating the play

At times, Manja appeared slightly overwhelmed by Sandokan’s endless energy and would respond with soft, cute vocalisations whenever Sandokan became too persistent. Interestingly, Sandokan responded appropriately by stopping and briefly running away, showing positive behavioral responses and awareness of boundaries during play. However, the playful interaction rarely stayed paused for long, as Manja would often remain close to Sandokan and even chase after her once she moved away — only for the playfighting to begin all over again

It is also observed that positive learning behaviors have started to emerge between the two cubs. Manja has been observed learning how to dig through dead logs from Sandokan, who appears especially skilled and highly engaged in this type of enrichment activity. Meanwhile, Sandokan is still developing her climbing abilities, an area where Manja appears much more confident and experienced. Through continued interaction and observation, it is hoped that Sandokan will gradually begin mimicking these climbing behaviours from her friend as well.

Over time, both cubs have shown increasing comfort and positive interactions with each other. Encouraging behaviours such as staying close together, responding to one another during play, and moving comfortably between enclosures have continued to be observed throughout the sessions. After each interaction session, both cubs were able to calmly return to their own independent activities, showing a healthy balance between social play and self-regulation. Overall, the integration process continues to show positive progress and marks another meaningful step forward in their rehabilitation journey

First greeting, spoken in the language of scent

A quick camera check from Sandokan before the play begins

Sandokan loves pawing at Manja as her way of communicating and initiating play

Another round of Sandokan’s curious pawing at Manja, always eager to get her attention

A calm, observant Manja, clearly curious about Sandokan’s actions

A training-like moment for Sandokan as she attempts to climb, still learning from Manja’s level of skill

Meanwhile, Manja is sitting confidently at the top of the cage. From there, she calmly watches Sandokan below, who is still trying hard to climb up to reach her

A gentle moment of closeness as Manja leans on Sandokan during their interaction, while Sandokan quietly supports the contact and stays by her side

Sandokan in a brief pause before diving back into play again

Sandokan taking in Manja’s scent with playful curiosity

while Manja gently sniffing Sandokan, calmly observing her scent

Manja reaching out with a soft paw as Sandokan stays close

Sandokan was a little surprised by Manja’s pawing, not knowing that Manja has already learned that move from her

Final moments: Sandokan not accepting closure — “Extend session pls!”