http://leapspiral.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/bsbcc-latest-news-october-2011/
STILL THEY COME…
BSBCC has become home to three more bears since July!
On 23rd July BSBCC helped Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) in the rescue of an illegally kept captive sun bear from a palm oil plantation near Lahad Datu, southeast Sabah. Named Amaco, the 18 year old male was in fairly good health apart from bad teeth and mouth condition, having been fed on a diet consisting almost solely of rice and sweetened condensed milk. Amaco has been given medical treatment and has been temporarily housed in the old bear house and is slowly relaxing and settling in.
Amaco in the barren cage where he had been kept for 18 years
Dr Diana Ramirez from SWD and Wai Pak checking the anaesthetized bear before transfer to BSBCC.
The following month, Fulung, a 9 month old male cub was brought to BSBCC by SWD staff, after being surrendered to the SWD Wildlife Rescue Unit by a villager from a remote part of southwest Sabah who had had the cub for several months, after hunting dogs had apparently found it in the forest. Fulung was malnourished on arrival but is now putting on weight and is being kept temporarily in the old bear house under quarantine. Read more stories about Fulung.
Baby Fulung just after capture by the villagers. Fulung means ‘forest’ in the local language.
Fulung about to begin his long journey from the village after being rescued by SWD.
An impressive sun bear tongue displayed by Fulung at BSBCC!
A third new sun bear, Mary, arrived from Lok Kawi Wildlife Park on 12th September 2011. A female cub, possibly 6-8 months old, Mary had been kept by villagers in central Sabah since July. She shows signs of malnutrition and calcium deficiency but otherwise appears healthy, and has also been placed in quarantine in the old bear house. Read more about Mary.
Wong with Mary the night she arrived at BSBCC, drinking milk for the first time after 3 months of captivity.
Mary sucking on her right foot – a common behavior in sun bear cubs who have lost their mothers.
Wai Pak feeding Mary a special treat of honey.
CONSTRUCTION STARTS!
A contract has finally been awarded to a local company for the construction of the BSBCC Observation Platform and trails to it, access boardwalk from the car park and upgrading of roads and drainage. Construction commenced at the end of September and should be finished by March 2012. Watch this space! Read more…
The observation platform trail under construction.
SPREADING THE WORD
Wong participated in the 20th International Conference on Bear Research and Management in Ottawa, Canada in July 2011, presenting a jointly authored paper on ‘The effects of selective logging on sun bears in lowland dipterocarp rainforest of Borneo’, and on October 1st gave a talk on BSBCC and sun bears at the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Over 40 people attended and the event was covered by the national press. Read more…
Wong at the MNS talk. Photo by Christopher Leo
In September, BSBCC was thrilled to receive a donation of GBP500 (RM2,426.05) from International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals, IAPWA, a UK based NGO, to be spent on purchasing ceiling fans for the new bear house. Read more…
KEEPING COOL!
Three wall fans and 4 ceiling fans were installed on 16th September 2011; thank you IAPWA!
VOLUNTEERS
Both individual and group volunteers continue to be an essential and much appreciated asset at BSBCC. Here are some of the activities some of the recent individual volunteers have been up to.
Collecting fallen branches to use for enrichment.
Creative arrangement of foliage in Fulung’s pen.
Preparing rice porridge for bears in the new bear house kitchen.
September was the time for the annual health check for most of the bears – a routine medical assessment of their overall health, potential sicknesses, internal organ function and physical condition. It was also a chance to give vitamins and de-worming injections and take blood samples and even hair samples for future DNA studies. Read more…
Dr Diana Ramirez, SWD Wildlife Rescue Unit vet, taking blood samples from an anaesthetized bear with help from SWD staff Elis, and Wong.
Wong and Wai Pak carrying out the medical check on Susie in the new bear house.
FILMS AND FILM STARS!
The end of July saw the first ever Borneo Eco Film Festival, held in Sandakan, Sabah. Always eager to raise local awareness, Wong gave a presentation on ‘The holistic approaches of Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to conserve sun bears in Sabah’ and there was a showing of the 20 minute promo film “BEAR TREK” by Wildlife Media Inc. featuring Wong carrying out his research at Danum Valley in Sabah. The event was well attended and, hopefully, the first of many highlighting and showcasing Borneo! Read more…
Wong becoming something of a film star himself!
Actor and avid conservation supporter Jason Scott Lee visited BSBCC on 24th September 2011 as part of an eco-travelogue being filmed throughout Malaysia for National Geographic. Jason spent a whole day filming at the Centre, enthusiastically taking part in cleaning of the bear pens, feeding the bears in the forest enclosures and walking Mary the sun bear cub in the forest. Read more…
A new sun bear supporter – Hollywood actor Jason Scott Lee!
Jason observing Wong with Mary in the forest.
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