December Magazine Feature —— "Voluntourism", Travellution Media, December 2023.
12/23/23
Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) for Bornean Sun Bears
Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) for Bornean Sun Bears!🐻
Positive Reinforcement Training (PRT) is a cornerstone of
modern animal care and conservation efforts. It's a method that rewards desired
behaviours, encouraging animals to perform them, thus facilitating easier
management and care.
The success of PRT depends on the trust between keepers and
the bears. The dedication and commitment of the keepers are fundamental in
creating bonding and developing trust with the bears.
The PRT process begins with identifying the purpose and
behaviours we want to encourage in the bears. These behaviours could be as
simple as responding to a name, or more complex like allowing a veterinary
examination. A clicker is used as a ‘bridge’ to communicate with the bears,
that it has the correct behaviour and will be reinforced with a reward system.
Amaco, 30 years, the oldest sun bear in BSBCC, is no longer
active in playing, and therefore he tends to have overgrown claws that can
affect his walking stance. Via PRT session, Amaco allows the keepers to trim
the claws. He also knows to open his mouth big for oral examination. The
outcome is very encouraging and significantly promotes general well-being. The
number of general anaesthesia can be greatly reduced as well through Amaco’s
participation in PRT. In a geriatric animal, general anaesthesia is a risky
procedure.
Thank you to Yayasan Hasanah, Kementerian Kewangan and
Yayasan Sime Darby for always supporting BSBCC's conservation efforts. PRT
allows us to perform necessary health checks and medical procedures with
minimal stress to the bears, provides mental stimulation, and promotes general
well-being. We look forward to seeing improvement in the health and well-being
of our bears via PRT.
#bsbcc #keeperdiaries #conservation #rehabilitation
Rotten Log Enrichment – A Delight for Ronnie Boy
#KeeperDiaries : Rotten Log Enrichment – A Delight for Ronnie Boy
Today, I’m set to provide an enriching experience for one of
my most cherished bears, Ronnie Boy. Unfortunately, due to previous trauma,
Ronnie Boy does not like to go into the forest enclosure after years of coaxing
and fence training. Therefore, I’ve decided to bring a piece of the forest to
him in the form of a rotten log enrichment. This will not only stimulate his
natural behaviors but hopefully also bring him some joy.
After searching through the forest, I found the most perfect
rotten log. This log is not just any log, but a carefully selected one, teeming
with the rich, earthy scents and textures that Sun Bears find irresistible. Two
key ingredients were then used – peanut butter and pandan coconut essence –
which are very popular amongst many of our bears. The combination of the peanut
butter’s nutty flavor and the pandan coconut essence’s sweet scent creates an
irresistible attraction for Ronnie Boy. As he approaches the log, his keen
sense of smell is immediately drawn to the enticing mixture.
Ronnie Boy is a mellow and sweet bear so I do not expect a
big reaction out of him. He slowly approaches the log in curiosity and starts
licking the log realizing there are tasty treats inside! His long, sharp claws
then come into play, helping him dig into the log to reach the delicious
rewards hidden within.
This enrichment helps Ronnie Boy to exercise (crucial for a
captive bear who doesn’t want to go outside) and also enhances his natural
behaviors such as foraging. Ronnie Boy is one of our residents who aren’t so
lucky and due to the trauma of living in captivity all his life, he has no
intention of going outside and enjoying the beautiful forest environment. With
this, we are only able to do our part and try to give him the best life
indoors.
Thank you to the Yayasan Hasanah, Kementerian Kewangan, and
Yayasan Sime Darby for always supporting our work. This allows us to help all
our bears even with whatever situation they may be in. Ronnie Boy will always
be loved by his keepers even if he chooses not to go outside!
#bsbcc #conservation #rehabilitation #sunbear
Susie 2
Introducing Susie 2, one of our adult female bears. Susie 2 was bought from a remote village for RM200 to be kept as a pet. She was then surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife Department and arrived at BSBCC in July 2014. She is adapting well and enjoying her time in the forest of BSBCC.
Thinking of adopting our sun bears? Susie 2 is available for
MY BEAR ADOPTION. Click https://www.bsbcc.org.my/my-bear-adoption.html to adopt
exclusively of your favorite bear.
12/11/23
Can you spot the sun bear?
Can you spot the sun bear?
This is Itam, our most elusive resident of BSBCC. Itam
arrived here in 2020 as a rescued cub from Nabawan. She is now 3 years old and
has grown into an independent and beautiful sun bear! She's not a big fan of
humans and loves her freedom in her enclosure.
Sun bears are the most arboreal (tree-living) of all bears
and are excellent climbers. They sunbathe or sleep in trees 2 to 7 meters (7 to
23 feet) above the ground. Their unique morphology suggests adaptations for
climbing, such as inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, and powerful
forelimbs with large claws.
Most of our resident bears will return back to the bearhouse
to eat and sleep at night but sometimes bears like Itam prefers being outside
and that is okay! We make sure that eletrical fences are at a safe reading and
occasionally check on her at night. Behaviours like these may be an indicator
that Itam could be a potential release candidate. However, the road for Itam is
still long but our team works hard to give her the life she deserves. We are
proud to see Itam grow up into this bear we see today.
Big thanks to Yayasan Hasanah , Kementerian Kewangan and Yayasan Sime Darby for always supporting the work we do here,
which allows us to help and rehabilitate rescued bears like Itam!
Mamatai makes great ground nests
Throwback to when we wanted to spy how Mamatai makes her nests but got these hilarious shots of her instead 🤣
Sun bears are known to make nests on trees and on the
ground. These nests are usually made out of twigs, leaves, and branches and
arranged much more messily compared to an orangutan's nest.
Mamatai makes great ground nests and as you can see she
makes them really comfy!
SJK (C) Pei Ying visit (9th Dec 2023)
Thank you for SJK (C) Pei Ying for the visit today! We are glad we can spread the word about our efforts to save Sun Bears and raise their awareness about nature and wildlife conservation. We hope they enjoyed the visit and gaining new knowledge about our precious Sun Bears.
What has Nano been up to?
What has Nano been up to? 🤣
Rainy season has started so get your umbrellas and raincoats
ready! Don't play in the mud like Nano 🙊
Sun bears are equipped with large sickle-shaped claws that
help them climb and dig easily. Nano loves doing those things so much he
doesn't have a care in the world if he gets dirty😊
Fulung loves the rain
Do you like to go outside in the rain? Fulung, the sun bear,
did not mind getting wet to climb a high tree on a rainy day.
Fulung is available for the adoption programme. Grab our latest adoption promotion by clicking on this link: https://www.bsbcc.org.my/special-promotion-adoption-gwm.html
Romolina wishes for a room full of honey and bananas
18 Days till Christmas!! Romolina wishes for a room full of honey and bananas 🥰🎄🎅
What do YOU wish for??
KeeperDiaries : Firehose enrichment
#KeeperDiaries : Firehose enrichment
Fire hose enrichment is a popular and effective way to
provide stimulation and challenge for captive animals, especially for those who
like to bite, chew, tug, and manipulate objects. Fire hose is a durable and
versatile material that can be cut and shaped into various configurations, such
as braids, knots, rings, hammocks, and more. Fire hose enrichment can also be
combined with other materials, such as food, scents, or toys, to increase the
attractiveness and complexity of the device.
For Kwong, a male sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear
Conservation Centre (BSBCC), we have prepared a special fire hose enrichment
that incorporates some of his favourite things: watermelon, ginger leaves, and
vegemite. Watermelon and ginger leaves are nutritious and tasty treats for sun
bears, who are omnivorous and enjoy a variety of fruits, vegetables, and
insects in the wild. Vegemite is a savoury spread made from yeast extract that
has a strong and distinctive flavour that sun bears find irresistible. The
vegemite was brought and donated to BSBCC all the way from Australia by Judy
(Thank you Judy!)
We stuffed the watermelon and ginger leaves inside a
one-meter long fire hose, and applied some vegemite at the hole of the fire
hose. This will encourage Kwong to use his powerful jaws, claws, and tongue to
access the food inside the hose. Sun bears have the longest tongue among all
bear species, which can reach up to 25 cm in length. They use their tongue to
extract honey, termites, and other food from tree holes and crevices. By
mimicking this natural behaviour, the fire hose enrichment will provide Kwong
with physical and mental stimulation, as well as a rewarding and satisfying
meal. Kwong absolutely loved this (as you can see in the videos!). It did take
him a while to figure out how to reach the food in the middle of the firehose
but eventually he learnt that if he stepped on the foods in the middle of the
hose, it will be squeezed out like toothpaste. After devouring all the tasty
snacks in the middle, he proceeded to play with the hose itself – bringing it
all the way up to his resting spot on his log and waving it around like he just
don’t care.
Enrichment is a way of providing animals in captivity with
stimuli that encourage them to display natural behaviours, such as foraging,
exploring, nesting, grooming, and playing. It is great because it can improve
their physical and mental health, reduce stress and boredom, and increase their
activity and well-being. Therefore, we would like to thank our supporters
Yayasan Hasanah, Kementerian Kewangan and Yayasan Sime Darby for giving us the
ability to provide enrichment for all our bears.
#bsbcc #enrichment #sunbear #conservation
Taska KEMAS Kg. Rancangan (4th Dec 2023)
We have so much fun interacting with these young children of Taska KEMAS Kg. Rancangan. They are excited and curious to see the sun bears roaming in the forest enclosure of BSBCC. We hope you guys had a great time here and gained some new knowledge about sun bears. Thank you, and see you guys again!
Tiny Tenom is not so tiny anymore
Tiny Tenom is not so tiny anymore!🥰
Tenom currently weighs 12kg! From a mere 4kgs when first
arriving here, she was a shy but playful bear. Today, she is a confident bear
who enjoys challenging her keepers when play fighting. She is a great climber
with monkey-like skills (We think she was a monkey in a past life🐵)
and definitely does not like sharing her food or toys with others (Yes, we get
it! You’re a princess Tenom👸). Tenom is full of
energy and as she is growing bigger, her keepers sometimes have a hard time
keeping up with her. However, the efforts her keepers give to do so are
impeccable!
Lately, we have been trying to introduce various fruits and
invertebrates to Tenom and keep it as close to what a wild bear’s diet would
be. She is not used to the new taste, smell, or textures but does enjoy rubbing
the new foods all over her body! Her favourite solid foods at the moment are
any type of invertebrates (i.e. ants, termites, beetles, pillbugs). Her keepers
would hide them around her cage and she has a blast foraging for them.
Today we tried giving her a local fruit called Jackfruit. It
has a very pungent smell and sweet-tasting flesh. It didn’t take long for Tenom
to find the hidden fruit with her keen sense of smell but instead of eating it,
she’d roll around in it. Within a couple minutes, she is covered head to toe in
sticky Jackfruit juices! Even though she hates sharing her things, she still
likes to keep close to her keepers while eating or rather ‘playing’ with her
food. 😅
We are getting closer to the day Tenom goes to Tabin Forest
Reserve. Our Tabin Sun Bear Research Project team members are working hard to
ensure the project runs smoothly and is ready for Tenom’s arrival. Big thanks
to our sponsors and supporters – Yayasan Hasanah, Kementerian Kewangan and
Yayasan Sime Darby for giving us a fighting chance to provide a better life for
Tenom.
#sunbear #rehabilitation #bsbcc #conservation
SK Timbang, Kota Belud visit (1st Dec 2023)
Welcoming the vibrant energy of SK Timbang, Kota Belud.
Thank you for visiting us and meeting the world's smallest bear, the sun bear.
#bsbcc #bear #sunbear #beruangmadu #beruangmatahari #sepilok
#visitsepilok #sandakan #schooltrip #lawatansekolah
12/8/23
SK Bombalai Tawau visit (30th Nov 2023)
Thank you for SK Bombalai Tawau for the visit today! We have so much fun interacting with the students and teachers, we are glad we can spread the word about our efforts to save Sun Bears and raise their awareness about nature and wildlife conservation. We hope they are enjoying exploring the forest and the Sun Bears, and gaining new knowledge.
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