𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Text by Lee Ying Li

I would like to introduce Simone to the world.

Simone is the kind of sun bear who is almost impossible not to fall in love with. She is cute, clever, active, and endlessly curious. There is always something happening when Simone is around — exploring a new corner, investigating anything that catches her attention, or simply keeping herself busy with her own little adventures. Watching her, I found myself noticing the smallest things, and somehow, those little moments became some of my favourite memories.

During my time with Simone, I slowly learned that getting to know a sun bear does not mean being able to touch them. It means watching, observing, and learning to understand them from a respectful distance. Sometimes, caring for them means knowing when to step closer, and more importantly, knowing when to step back.

During my time with the bears, I came to understand that caring for them is not about how close we can get. It is about giving them what they need while respecting who they are. This is what I wanted to put into words:

𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬
"We cannot touch the bears,
but while they’re licking honey,
we gently sprayed iodine
and rubbed ointment onto their inflamed wounds.
We cannot touch the bears,
but when the anesthesia began to work,
we softly stroked their arms and claws,
and on their firm, flat palms,
I gave a high-five only I will remember.
We cannot touch the bears,
the toys we made by gathering materials
from forest,
the vegetables and supplements we prepared in the kitchen,
are all handed to them with careful caution.
We cannot touch the bears,
yet we love them,
only to set them free."

Looking back on my time at BSBCC, I realised that loving the bears does not always mean being close to them. Sometimes, it means keeping a distance, respecting their boundaries, and caring for them without expecting anything in return.

I may not be able to touch Simone, but I am grateful for every moment I spent watching her, caring for her, and getting to know her little by little.

Perhaps that is what makes this experience so special. We care for them, we grow attached to them, and in the end, we hope they no longer need us.

Because sometimes, the greatest way to love a wild animal is to love them enough to let them go.

Simone had a little taste of her cake during her rescue celebration! A little treat for a very special sun bear, and of course, Simone had to investigate it in her own curious way before having a taste.

One of my favourite parts of volunteering at BSBCC was making enrichment for the bears.

For Cerah and Jelita, I gathered materials from the forest and turned them into something they could explore and interact with. It was a simple activity, but I enjoyed putting thought into each piece and imagining how they might respond to it.

Seeing them investigate something I had made especially for them made all the time and effort worthwhile.

A box of surprises for the one and only Simone!

Since Simone is always curious about everything around her, I wanted to make something that would keep her busy exploring and investigating. I put together a little surprise box filled with things for her to discover, hoping each new smell, texture, and hidden treat would spark her curiosity.

Watching Simone figure things out in her own clever little way was definitely one of the highlights for me.

Up, up, up goes the enrichment!

I hung it higher to give Cerah and Jelita a little extra challenge. They had to stretch, reach, and figure out how to get to the hidden treats.

I had so much fun setting it up — now it was their turn to do the hard work!

More food, more fun!

It was such a joy preparing little surprises for the bears and watching them explore and enjoy what I had made for them.

Thank you to BSBCC for giving me the opportunity to spend time caring for these amazing sun bears. I’m grateful for every little moment and happy to know that, in my own small way, I could help make their day a little happier and more fun.