Integration Male Bear Montom With Adult Bear Group

29/3/2019

Text by Emily Tan Yu En
Photo by Chiew Lin May


On January 18th 2015, Montom was rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Rescue Unit from Kampung Melangkap, Kota Marudaand sent him to BSBCC on 21st of January, 2015. The story reported to the Wildlife Rescue Unit was the owner’s dog chased away Montom’s mother and she left him behind. He was taken and kept as a pet for a year in a chicken wire mesh cage and fed with human food. The owner was willing to surrender Montom to the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit.

We introduced Montom to the other sub-adult group and was pleased to see him get along well with all the bears. After a few years, Montom is no longer a sub-adult bear so we’re going to let him join the adult bear group and let other sub-adult bears to join in his previous group.

Montom was introduced to the adult bears which included Rungus, Ah Lun, Julaini, Ah Bui and Fulung. Montom was introduced one-by-one for the first six days as he will feel surprise and afraid if he meet all the bears at the same time. At first, Montom played well with all the bears but Rungus and Ah Bui didn’t really likes to play with him as they will stay on aside or rest on the enrichment in the buffer cage. Few days later, all the bears play along with him and they’re trying learn to understand each other better even though sometimes they play rough to each other. They play around and chase each other and no aggression found during the whole integration.
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Here are some photos during the integration of Montom with other adult bears.


Integration Montom with Julaini and Ah Lun

Montom stays on the enrichment and tries to play with Julaini and Ah Lun

Montom ( top ) biting Ah Lun’s back shoulder

Julaini and Montom stand and wrestle

The three of them get along well

Julaini and Fulung mouthing to Montom

Integration Montom with Rungus and Fulung

Rungus stays on the enrichment and watch Fulung and Montom wrestle

After all the integration, we let Montom join with the adult bear group to the enclosure .They will move around in the enclosure searching for food.  Montom get to learn some surviving skills from the bears such as climbing, self-defence, digging and others.

在婆羅洲的14天——與馬來熊和島上所有生物的美好相遇

28/3/2019

Text by Chen Fang, 陳昉
Photos by Cheng Fang & Chiew Lin May


嗨我是陳昉，是個目前正在日本念獸醫系的台灣人。從小到大我一直都很喜歡動物，其中最喜歡的就是台灣黑熊(只分布於台灣的亞洲黑熊特有亞種!模樣十分帥氣可愛有興趣的話請務必搜尋了解一下!)。去年暑假有個在日本的輕井澤接觸亞洲黑熊的機會，在那之後便覺得應該要趁有時間有體力的時候多多與熊接觸於是便決定參加這次的志工。

在來到這裡之前對於馬來熊我是一無所知，只知道他們是世界上體型最小的熊、不冬眠然後分布於東南亞。托這次的志工服務的福我有機會近距離觀察馬來熊的型態和行為，深刻體認到要了解一種動物最好的方式便是親眼觀察牠們。網路和書本上的知識固然重要，但唯有親眼見到這些動物活動的姿態才有辦法深深烙印在腦海裡吧!
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這兩個禮拜在BSBCC的日子十分充實，每天打掃籠子、準備食物及餵食、做玩具豐富他們的生活環境等等，這些基本的日常瑣事要是沒有仔細執行都有可能影響到熊的健康。比方說打掃籠子(特別是喝水的地方)的時候如果沒掃乾淨的話熊很可能就會因為感染而生病、食物的種類、份量和比例沒給對的話熊可能就會營養失衡或是肥胖導致他們不適合回歸野外、沒給他們玩具或是豐富牠們的生活環境的話一部份因為各種原因還沒辦法野放在外的熊很可能就會因為沒有別的事情可以做產生壓力，進而引發刻板行為或是自殘之類的現象等等。而這些改變大多都是長期累積下來的結果，所以儘管只是每天少做一些努力都很有可能造成負面影響不可不慎。

正在用木頭做給熊出來曬太陽的小小平台

有時候也會用葉子包裹花生醬或是香蕉之類的讓熊邊玩邊吃以防牠們產生刻板行為

準備給熊的食物! 香蕉葉是用來當盤子給牠們吃，吃完之後順便潔牙用的

除了每天的例行公事以外還會有些幫忙給熊的健康檢查或是協助人工繁殖計畫等等偏向野生動物獸醫療的體驗，我參加的是關於人工繁殖計畫的一部份，是要從狀態良好的公熊身上取出精子冷凍保存，以便將來要執行馬來熊的人工繁殖計畫時使用。去年在輕井澤的體驗讓我對於麻醉熊還有一些基本測量有個基礎，但這是我第一次看見在獸醫診所的看診檯上躺著的熊，有種很不可思議的感覺。在採取精子之前要先確定麻醉的深度還有動物的狀態，等整個狀態穩定下來之後才開始執行一連串的動作。感謝獸醫師還有技術師、工作人員教我很多關於麻醉、動物狀態確認、人工繁殖計畫等等的知識，也感謝獸醫師讓我用聽診器聽熊的心音，要是沒有來這次的志工我大概一輩子都沒有機會親耳聽到熊的心跳聲吧!

在兩個禮拜之中有一天的下午到了BSBCC創辦人黃修德博士的辦公室與他對談，問了自己一直很想知道的問題也聽到其他人所抱持的疑問，發現自己知道的真的太少，應該花更多時間多關心這些在我們周遭的事情才是。感謝黃修德博士空出時間讓我們問問題，能夠從該領域的專家身上得到詳細的解說真的是件再幸運不過的事! 

在學校念書、考試的時候覺得長到發慌的兩個禮拜居然倏地就過了，到現在都還覺得不可置信。感謝在這裡遇見的一切人事物，特別是不厭其煩主動教我有關熊的一切的工作人員們，多虧他們的解惑還有協助我才能度過這麼充實開心又滿載而歸的兩個禮拜，再次致上我最高的謝意! 雖然不想離開不過想到回到日本之後可以跟我所有的朋友分享這一段精彩的經歷，讓更多人知道馬來熊以及其現狀就覺得很期待。如果對於馬來熊、熱帶雨林或是自然生態有興趣的人，請務必加入志工的行列或甚至只是來拜訪也好，儘管一個人的力量可能很微薄，不過多一個人關心就是多一份希望，真心希望世界上所有人都可以對除了北極熊和熊貓等動物園的明星動物以外的熊類有多一點關心才好！
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僅放上一些BSBCC的馬來熊玉照看可不可以吸引到更多人來拜訪哈哈。

在BSBCC看得到熊的生活起居，圖為熊十分享受在吃豆子的瞬間

時而蜷成一團

時而玩耍

有時候還會倒頭大睡真的超！可！愛！

後記：在志工的兩周裡面有兩天休息日，其中一天先去了旁邊的紅毛猩猩中心，之後和同行的志工參加了fireflies trip，另一天到了Rainforest Discovery Centre看到很多很多從來沒看過的鳥或是動物，我相信喜歡大自然的人一定會很熱愛這裡的一切的!

猴子在偷吃紅毛猩猩的食物 (多到不行的猴子實在有點惱人)

這裡也有翠鳥

在RDC看到的鳥，可以找找看在哪裡

Tan Tan Superb Long Tongue

24/3/2019

Video by Chiew Lin May


Did you know that sun bear has a long tongue?

Jovial Moments at BSBCC

19/3/2019

Text By Emily Tan Yu En
​Photos By BSBCC & APE Malaysia


Hey everyone! I’m Emily Tan Yu En, 17 from Penang, Malaysia and I just graduated from high school. I am waiting for my SPM results and I have 3 months before entering university. I came across this volunteering programme as my parents got to know about it from Mr Wong. Even though I’m a Malaysian, I’ve never been to Sabah before and I was really excited about this programme. I am no stranger to sun bears as I saw one in a mini zoo in Peninsula Malaysia. There are two sun bears in that enclosure and you can tell from their facial expression that they’re not being treated well in the zoo. Their enclosure is really small and they only get contact with each other. That was the first experience with sun bears.

My volunteering programme starts from 5th of January until 18th of January and there are five more volunteers at that time but I’m the only one who has a two week placement. I’ve experience a lot of first experiences throughout the project. For my two weeks in the bear house, I get to clean the cages, work in the kitchen, do enrichments for the bears and also a lot of funny moments like getting stuck in the mud after collecting banana leaves , falling in the drain because of a flood , a piece of wood fell on my foot and a lot more. I also get to build a swing for the cub with my buddy, Brandon and Leda. The volunteers from Ape Malaysia are really nice and I really had a great time with them. We played card games every night and we laughed a lot.                            

Me doing my enrichment

                                                                  

Cub Swing for the new bear, Joe

                                                                 

We went in the jungle to collect termite mounds as an enrichment for the bears

                                                                                                                                    After finishing the two weeks volunteering time at BSBCC, I went back to Penang and soon returned to Sabah as a volunteer for as I missed it so much! Unlike January, this time there’s no other volunteer and I will be staying at the staff house ( Bjorn Hala ). I get to work in the kitchen for three weeks and also do some enrichment. I think I consider myself lucky because this time I get to work at the platform and also outreach to Lahad Datu. I get to know more about the hard work that all the staff have done for the bears and the efforts by the keepers in the bear house.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Making stick paradox for the bears

Outreach at Lahad Datu

                                                                                                                                    I’m really grateful that I get to work with all the staff and I am able to observe the sun bears at close quarters. They’re really cute and I’m still amazed by their size, behaviour and a lot more. I’m also really pleased that I was able to join the health check of Mamatai and Diana. I enjoyed outside feeding the most as I was able to have a closer look at the bears eating the fruit and I also get so lucky one time that I saw two bears climbing the same time.                                                                                                                                                    

Tan Tan chilling on a tree

Enjoying the corn before it gets stolen by the macaque

                                                                                                                                    I realised how important the staff in the centre are to the bears after working with them for 5 weeks. All the keepers treat the bears sincerely and they taught me a lot about sun bears. I appreciate all the efforts given by the staff and also all the knowledge about the bears. I also want to thank my housemates at Bjorn Hala for taking care of me and taking me everywhere around Sandakan. All the lame jokes from the keepers really help and thanks to all the keepers in the bear house for treating the bears so sincerely. I’ll sure miss the time working with all of the bears and the staff.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

My one and only group photo during the flood

Looking forward to see you guys next time

                                                 

Bintang Grown Up!

17/3/2019

Video by Chiew Lin May


Bintang on her first day of arrival vs four years later.. She was rescued from an illegal house pet and was sent to the BSBCC on 15th July 2014. 

Today, Bintang grows up learning to be a wild bear. It takes a lot of time and love for Bintang to forget her traumatic past. 

​We have two things that sun bears do not, which is the voice and freedom. Please use your voice to help them!

Logan climbs trees

10/3/2019

Video by Chiew Lin May


​Arboreal bear!!

Little Logan was missing his left thumb and his left front paw has developed abnormally but these have never made give him up in climbing trees.

Joe loves his First New Friends

5/3/2019

Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May


Joe, a three month old sun bear cub, was found by a person alone in the forest at Kg.Kipaku, Tambunan. The person then sent the cub to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park on the 12th of April 2018. The bear arrived on the 22nd of January 2019. We believe that Joe was stolen from his mother in the wild. Joe appeared tame and would suckle his hind paws which are believed to be a result from being kept as a pet for long periods in captivity. He needs to learn all the skills he will require to survive in the wild – skills that he would have learnt from his mother. 

We decided to introduce Joe with two resident cubs. 

Joe recently completed his quarantine period. He is now one year old and weighs 22kg. On the 22nd of February 2019, Joe made his first new friends! 

Once Joe entered the den, Logan and Romolina started to greet him by growling! 

Both started sniffing around while Joe was busy with exploring the new den first. Once the door opened, Logan started to play fight by biting and rolling with Joe.

Logan has shown to be a more fun-loving bear that always initiates play with Joe. 

They can wrestle for hours and hours…nonstop PLAY!!

 

Logan began spending more time with Joe while Romolina always seemed curious and she would paw Joe in a gentle way. Romolina would still like to maintain her independence and is less interested in joining to play. We found Joe being hugged by Logan when they met. 

Joe has had a new experience by learning how to defend himself during play fights and wrestling.

We are glad to see Joe has been having a good time with his new friends, Logan and Romolina. These three bears have a close bond and share their food or enrichment together too. Little Romolina and Logan were quick to accept Joe. 

The three bears have been venturing out to the larger exercise dens which are filled with different types of enrichment. 

They share their dens which can enrich Joe’s life and help stimulate his natural behaviour.

​Sometimes, they will prefer to relax together in their comfy hammock or basket.

They enjoy playing, exploring and making us fall in love with their beautiful smiles! 

​This is important for the rescued bears to help them recover from trauma and start to put their past behind them.
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Interactions between Joe, Logan and Romolina have shown to be positive. Joe now has a place full of love. Hopefully, this relationship can help Joe become a more confident and stronger bear!