Harley Davidson Group Visit

We are delighted to welcome a group of members of Harley Davidson for the visit today. They were given an introduction to Sun Bears and the BSBCC's efforts at conserving them by our founder Dr. Wong Siew Te, followed by a guided tour to the observation platform to observe the rescued Sun Bears in the natural forest enclosures.

We would like to say thank you to them for adopting our 2 rescued Sun Bears - Fulung and Joe, and also the donation of bananas and honey! We hope they had a great time here and gained some new knowledge about Sun Bears, while helping us to spread awareness by sharing experiences with their friends and family!
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Once again, thanks for coming to visit us, and your kind donation and adoption!

An Incredible Opportunity

Text by Sarah Ilsley

Photos by Jude Ailton George & Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh

I came to BSBCC through the recommendation of one of my college tutors, Katie, as she knew I wanted to do some travelling in Borneo following a cancelled trip back in 2020 due to the pandemic. As well as getting more experience working with animals following my internship at Chester Zoo in summer 2021.
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I will be forever grateful to her as well as the staff here at BSBCC and APE Malaysia for making this all possible because this has quite literally been a dream come true and at times, I still can’t comprehend that I’m finally here after four years and am devastated I have to leave!

I was initially quite nervous as I was eager to make a good impression as well as it being the furthest I’ve been from home in the UK, but I had absolutely nothing to worry about and I cannot express how lovely, welcoming and patient everyone has been here at the Centre and it has truly meant a lot to me.

These two weeks really have flown by and although it’s been hard work, I have loved every moment; learning about sun bear husbandry/care and the species in general, as they are one of the biggest mammals I’ve worked with so far, through practical husbandry tasks, helping with a health check (where I was able to clean a bears paw!!) as well as well as having the pleasure to chat to Dr.Wong and Pradeep several times where I have been able to get some realistic and valuable career advice. 

I have also had opportunities to experience other wildlife this island has to offer through river cruises and rainforest night walks where I’ve managed to see and animals that I have only loved from afar in documentaries and photos on the internet- it’s truly been incredible.
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All of this is an experience I will hold close forever and have loved so much so, I can’t quite put it into words.

Forest Here We Come!

Text and Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh

Our four bears – Kipaku, Betung, Itam and Kukuton – have been going through fence training these past few months and it has been a new, challenging and slightly scary experience for them. We first started with the super naughty Itam. It was to no one’s surprise that she would get zapped by the fence as she would be so curious of her surroundings that she would get too close to the fence. She was scared for a while till we joined her up with her ‘Knight in shining armor’ – Kipaku. 

Kipaku’s fence training experience was similar to Itam’s whereby he was also zapped by the fence from being too curious! Both Kipaku and Itam were so scared to go out individually but when we let both of them go out together, this boosted their confidence to explore and learn from each other. Eventually, these two mischievous bears were the first to learn that they shouldn’t get too close to the fence!

Betung and Kukuton were a little slower with passing their fence training as both had unpleasant experiences with the electric fence. When they touched the electric wire, both got zapped and decided to climb up the fence.  They got stuck on top of the fence, too scared to come down! During Betung’s fence training session, she eventually was able to conjure up the courage to come down herself. However, Kukuton was too scared to come down at all and our Bear care team had to step in to help him down. Since then, he is weary to exit his cage but day by day since the incident there has been some good progression. Betung has managed to overcome her fear and is quite comfortable with her surroundings and also recognizes the fence to be dangerous. 

Our Bear Care team have also been working very hard to finish the Forest enclosure maintenance for our bears to be released back into the forest. It is very important for us to maintain the electric fence surrounding our forest enclosures as a barrier of safety for our bears and for us humans. The electric fence also helps to protect some of the trees from damage by our bears as well. Our team does a fence check daily to ensure that the wires are working well and will carry out maintenance such as clearing the overgrown plants and repairing any wires that may be faulty.

Big thanks to our BATs group from Silverstone UTC and World Challenge who constructed the ramp for our four baby bears. We saw a big difference when we changed to using a ramp for Kukuton. He was more comfortable using the ramp to go down to the training pen floor rather than having to climb down the logs. For that we are truly grateful for all the help and support given from you guys!

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We would also like to give a huge thank you to Hasanah Foundation for their continuous contribution towards our enclosure maintenance. With this we are able to continue our rehabilitation efforts to release Kipaku, Itam, Kukuton and Betung back into a forest enclosure where they truly belong.  

School visit from SK. Bambangan Sandakan

Today, we received a group visit from SK. Bambangan. We already reached out to this group of students at their school, SK Bambangan, during our outreach program on Wildlife Conservation Awareness and Education Programme, last October. We are glad that they decided to visit us to see our rescued sun bears roaming in the forest enclosures.

This group consisted of 50 students and 11 teachers. As they had already been introduced to sun bears during the outreach program at their school, we conducted a "Bear Observation Activity" with the students. They were brought to the observation platform to observe what the bears were doing in the forest enclosures and relate it to their roles in the forest.

We hope they had a great time here and gained some new knowledge about sun bears while helping us spread awareness by sharing their experiences with their friends and family. Thank you!

Journey to Seeing All 8 Bear Species

Text by Kevin Andrews

Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh & Jude Ailton George


My name is Kevin Andrews and I am from the United States. Over the last year I have been on a journey to see all 8 species of bear in the world within their wild and natural habitats to raise conservation and awareness about each one and their struggles. Not an easy task with some bears like the sun bear. Due to the struggles they face with their population in decline and the actual number and current range of them not fully known. And because of that fact, I always wanted to spend time here at the BSBCC to be a part of the largest organization actively helping every day to keep this species future a possibility. What Dr. Wong and this center have achieved for sun bears is nothing short of remarkable. Being not only the smallest bear in the world but the bear we know LEAST about, this center gives a ray of hope and a glimpse at a better future for these bears.

The sessions I had with Dr Wong were also not only a surprise, as he is the CEO and founder who build this place from ground up, but such a great blessing. As he talks about the future plans of the BSBCC and what they hope to accomplish and ways people can help. These talks gave me true hope that these bears DO have a future. As so little is known about these bears, talking to the single person who has done more than anyone to help them and knows more about them than anyone, he is able to offer invaluable information in order to find more ways to save them and help raise awareness about their struggle. You can see that passion, and love in him every time he talks about the bears. With all the time he gives to the people here and the center it is truly inspiring for the next generation to start following his footsteps in sun bear conservation.

To sum everything up, my time here at the BSBCC was invaluable for so many reasons. Being able to work with these bears every day, build enrichments for them, see them walk around in the jungle like they would naturally, and just be close to them I was able to learn so much about these species and the true nature of what this center does for them. The work you do here is not easy, it consists of long and hot, very humid days, some of which are going into the jungle to search for enrichments and some in the enclosures fixing fences or cleaning.

But seeing these bears every day, learning their unique personalities, watching them sleep in the canopy tops of the jungle enclosures. Every day you get to work to make their lives better. And that alone make every mosquito and leech bite, and every gallon of sweat very much worth it. The bear keepers that you work with every day are also such amazing and friendly people that you will leave here full of smiles and friends. Their passion for these bears truly does shine through and you can tell they are here because of a true desire to help them. And they are so great with answering questions and educate you on every aspect of this center and how it works.

​When you leave BSBCC, you will leave here feeling more educated about these bears, their struggle as a species and what needs to be done. And you will also leave here feeling like you did help in a small part to contribute to these bears lives. And I hope more people will come here and find that passion and drive to help with conservation that comes with working here. I will definitely be back again! As my journey with bears has only just begun. 

“Connect, Conserve, and Collaborate” Art Exhibition and Fundraising Event at LUMA hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

The launching of the Art Exhibition and Coffee Experience fundraising event for the sun bears took place today at 3pm at The LUMA Hotel, Kota Kinabalu. Dr. Wong, Mr. Alan Wong (Executive Director, The LUMA Hotel) and Wayne Liew Executive Director, Crack Inc.) gave their respective speeches to the audiences present which included partners, friends, supporters, media, social media influencers, and the artists that contributed their talents for the event.

A total of 5 paintings were sold today and we hope to see more visitors to the art display at The LUMA Hotel during the next few days. The exhibition will continue until the 4th December 2022.
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We would like to take the opportunity to thank The LUMA Hotel and Crack Inc. for exclusively adopting our sun bears and the amazing efforts to make this event happen. Not forgetting all talented artists that have contributed their time and efforts to produce stunning sun bear themed artworks for this event. Proceeds from each artwork sold will be contributed to the BSBCC.

A ‘Paws’ For Thought - 2 Weeks at the BSBCC

Text by Laura and Daniel Bowtell

Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh & Jude Ailton George

We are Laura and Dan, a couple of 12 years, on a 3-month trip exploring South East Asia. We have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, and have had the opportunity to see animals in the wild. As part of our trip we wanted to visit Borneo and felt a volunteering project with the wildlife would be an incredible experience.

We came to BSBCC with no knowledge of the Sun Bear, other than this was the world’s smallest bear and it was classified as vulnerable under the IUCN. We had no experience in animal management or conservation and only a perceived idea of what is possible to achieve with an animal in captivity. However, we were open minded, willing to work hard and excited to learn.  
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We were greeted by a team of keepers who were engaging, informative and so passionate and caring to each of the bears. We were each assigned a bear keeper as a buddy, who we shadowed daily in all duties. This gave us real insight into the day to day role of a bear keeper.

The bears have unique, rich and quirky personalities. When interacting with them via feeding, building enrichment and providing medical care; we were able to experience these rare, precious and endangered animals in a way that is not possible anywhere else in the world.
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Additionally, we were privileged to spend time with Dr Wong, the CEO and Founder of the BSBCC and Pradeep Aggi Gunasegaran, the Bear Care Operations Executive. These sessions gave us a fuller understanding of sun bears, as well as the wider mission and project to preserve these incredible animals.
As part of your time as a volunteer, you are able to build a larger enrichment for a bear or a group of bears of your choosing. One bear, Ronnie Boy, loved to sleep up high therefore we repurposed a structure to create a platform for him to sleep on. It was exciting to see him using this and gave us a true sense of achievement which is a lasting memory. 

Spending time with these bears was an amazing experience however we hadn’t anticipated how inspiring it would be working with local people employed at the centre. Eating, and socializing with the team gave us an insight into Malay culture, as well as the ability to learn some of the language. By the end of the 2 weeks we felt part of the team and part of the BSBCC family. 

Whether studying the topic of animal management or conservation, looking to make a difference in todays challenging world or simply want to try something engaging and new… volunteering at the BSBCC is for you! It has certainly changed us both personally and professionally for the better!!

Opportunity of a Life Time

Text by Tzea Sawchuk

Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh & Jude Ailton George

Hi I’m Tzea from Canada. I’m 56 years old, and when I had the opportunity to travel and volunteer, I was excited to be accepted for the Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Don’t let an amazing chance to help and learn about these magnificent Bears pass you by.

When volunteering here you will be paired with a Bear Keeper, Oliver was my Bear Keeper Buddy. I assisted him with daily tasks as assigned, like cleaning the bear enclosures, meal prep, perimeter checks, enrichment items and varies sundry duties. The work is very full filling since it is all for the bears. Each day I learned something new about the bears and the staff are always willing to answer any questions I had. 

After seeing the bears each day, you can see the different personalities come through. The Bears are so endearing to watch. I was excited to assemble my enrichment idea with Oliver which was given to Itam. I was so excited to watch Itam climb on the log and find the hidden treats. It felt good to know that I was able to leave something to entertain her. 

For me, my volunteer time was very satisfying and I’ve learned a new appreciation for these vulnerable little bears. I look forward to returning home to share the story of the Sun Bears and bring awareness and importance of protecting them. I want to share how people can help out even when they live far away.
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For your volunteering choice, I highly recommend coming to Borneo to enrich the lives of the Sun Bears and yourself.

Successful Dental Treatment for 8 Sun Bears!

Text by Dr Yeoh Boon Nie

Photos by Jacquelyn Jill Jepiuh

We are extremely grateful to the Veterinary Dentist Dr. Cedric Tutt (Cape Animal Dentistry Services), Dr. Serena Oh (Wildlife Asia Veterinary Services), Dr. Reza Tarmizi (Danau Girang Field Centre), and Dr. Nabila Sarkawi (Sabah Wildlife Department) for their kind assistance in the dental treatment provided to 8 sun bears from 10 to 12 November 2022. Together with our dedicated bear keepers, we are proud as a strong veterinary team for this operation. Each of us plays our role in anesthesia, dental surgery, dental radiography, recording and recovery monitoring.

This marathon of dental treatment was no doubt exhausting, but it is all worthwhile seeing the benefited bears recovering well and devouring good food as the chronic dental pain was treated. Each procedure took an average of 1 to 3 hours including intraoral radiography, dental charting, dental extraction, and root canal treatment if indicated. Sun bears that are aged more than 10 years old often have bad dentition including fractures and worn teeth with pulp exposure, which causes chronic pain and potential infection. A thorough examination with intraoral radiography is essential to access the tooth root condition. Root canal treatment is indicated to salvage the broken tooth and therefore maintain the dentition integrity. Teeth especially canine teeth are very important for sun bears in defense and food prehension.

This collaboration is significant, and we are thankful to the Hasanah Foundation for its continuous contribution to our Sun Bear Welfare Project including veterinary care. We will continue our effort to provide the best care to our captive Bornean sun bears.