Happy Rescue Anniversary, Fulung! 
Born in 2010, Fulung was rescued as a male sun bear cub. Now
16 years old, he has spent almost his entire life at BSBCC. Over the years, the
frightened little cub who once needed constant reassurance has grown into a
confident bear who loves exploring the forest, sitting among the trees in the
rain and, above all, taking every opportunity to enjoy a good coconut.
When Fulung first arrived, he was malnourished and
underweight for his age. He also had a noticeable patch of scar tissue on his
forehead from repeatedly rubbing against the bamboo and wooden cage where he
had been kept.
His first few days were not easy. In his completely new
surroundings, Fulung showed signs of stress, nervousness and fear. Whenever we
were around, he would gradually calm down as we played with him and reassured
him. But when we were out of sight, he would cry out and roar loudly, seemingly
looking for someone to come back and keep him company.
So, whenever we could, we stayed by his side, played with
him and gave him the attention he needed as he slowly learned to feel safe in
his new surroundings.
It did not take long, however, for Fulung to discover
something he truly loved about his new home ; the forest.
He quickly became a bear who loved being outside. He would
spend hours exploring his forest enclosure, climbing trees and taking in
everything around him. Rainy days seemed to be among his favourites. Fulung
would sit comfortably up in the trees, looking towards the sky as the raindrops
fell onto his face.
After a few hours of exploring, he would usually make his
way back to the Bear House.
But guess who suddenly had no interest in coming back when
there were coconuts involved?
FULUNGGGGG! 
Once he discovered coconuts waiting outside, all thoughts of
coming home seemed to disappear. He would happily extend his forest adventures,
sometimes even spending the night outside and helping himself to his friends’
coconuts. Apparently, when coconuts are involved, the Bear House can wait.
And this year, Fulung reminded us of that once again.
By the time we were ready to celebrate his rescue
anniversary with a special cake, there was just one small problem — Fulung was
nowhere to be found. We had completely forgotten that it was coconut day! While
we stood by with his carefully prepared cake, Fulung was happily enjoying his
coconut feast outside, with absolutely no urgency to return.
So, we waited.
Because apparently, on Fulung’s rescue anniversary, coconut
comes before cake. 
Eventually, after enjoying his fill, Fulung decided it was
finally time to come home and make an appearance at his own celebration. And
honestly, after all these years, we probably should have known better.
From a frightened little cub who once needed someone nearby
to help him feel safe, Fulung has grown into a confident 16-year-old bear with
a big personality, a deep love for the forest, and, of course, a very serious
appreciation for coconuts.
Happy Rescue Anniversary, Fulung.
Sixteen years later, some things have changed — but Fulung’s
love for the forest, rain and especially coconuts clearly has not.
