2026-09-20 MPOGCF Jelajah Sawit Hijau Edisi Sabah

BSBCC participated in Jelajah Sawit Hijau – Sabah Edition held at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall on the 20th September 2026. With the theme “Green Conservation, the Key to Sustainable Palm Oil, this event demonstrated the progress of the conservation that can move parallel to economic development driven by the palm oil industry.

Together with BSBCC were Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), Sabah Wildlife Department, and Sabah Softwoods Berhad. A variety of activities were carried out involving around 100 children, and including AI photo booth, talks, the Seremban Sawit competition, lucky draws, public quiz and other activities.

The event also added with the presence of three local Sabahan personalities, Daphne Iking, Wani Kayrie and Atu Zero. Thank you for inviting us MPOGCF.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭

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.

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

Since 2022, the Year 3 students of Vision Primary School Sandakan have been learning about Bornean sun bears and taking meaningful action to support their conservation.

Through their annual Sun Bear Conservation Project, the students create and sell their own sun bear artwork, with the proceeds donated to BSBCC.

This year, the Year 3 and Year 4 students joined hands and successfully raised RM5,000 for sun bear conservation! The donation was presented to Dr. Wong Siew Te during a special handover ceremony at Vision Primary School Sandakan.

BSBCC sincerely appreciates the students, teachers, parents, and the entire Vision Primary School community for their continued support and dedication to sun bear conservation. Your efforts show how conservation education can inspire young minds to make a difference.

At just nine years old, these young conservationists have shown us that little hands can make a BIG impact! Thank you for standing with us in protecting Sabah’s precious Bornean sun bears.

 

𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Text by Lee Ying Li

I would like to introduce Simone to the world.

Simone is the kind of sun bear who is almost impossible not to fall in love with. She is cute, clever, active, and endlessly curious. There is always something happening when Simone is around — exploring a new corner, investigating anything that catches her attention, or simply keeping herself busy with her own little adventures. Watching her, I found myself noticing the smallest things, and somehow, those little moments became some of my favourite memories.

During my time with Simone, I slowly learned that getting to know a sun bear does not mean being able to touch them. It means watching, observing, and learning to understand them from a respectful distance. Sometimes, caring for them means knowing when to step closer, and more importantly, knowing when to step back.

During my time with the bears, I came to understand that caring for them is not about how close we can get. It is about giving them what they need while respecting who they are. This is what I wanted to put into words:

𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

"We cannot touch the bears,

but while they’re licking honey,

we gently sprayed iodine

and rubbed ointment onto their inflamed wounds.

We cannot touch the bears,

but when the anesthesia began to work,

we softly stroked their arms and claws,

and on their firm, flat palms,

I gave a high-five only I will remember.

We cannot touch the bears,

the toys we made by gathering materials

from forest,

the vegetables and supplements we prepared in the kitchen,

are all handed to them with careful caution.

We cannot touch the bears,

yet we love them,

only to set them free."

Looking back on my time at BSBCC, I realised that loving the bears does not always mean being close to them. Sometimes, it means keeping a distance, respecting their boundaries, and caring for them without expecting anything in return.

I may not be able to touch Simone, but I am grateful for every moment I spent watching her, caring for her, and getting to know her little by little.

Perhaps that is what makes this experience so special. We care for them, we grow attached to them, and in the end, we hope they no longer need us.

Because sometimes, the greatest way to love a wild animal is to love them enough to let them go.