A JOURNEY I’LL NEVER FORGET

Hi everyone, my name is Sariana, a Tourism Management student from Politeknik Tawau Sabah, and this is my internship journey at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, or better known as BSBCC. Before I begin sharing my internship journey, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Madam Risnayati, for helping and guiding me throughout my internship. Thank you for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to do my internship here, even though at the beginning my confidence in interacting with international visitors was very weak. Your support and encouragement truly helped me grow and become more confident throughout this journey. Thank you so much (sending hugs).

 

I am also grateful to all the staff at BSBCC, the CEO and Founder of BSBCC, Dr. Wong Siew Te, as well as my fellow interns for all of their help, kindness, and support throughout my internship journey.

 

One of my main responsibilities was working at the observation platforms, where I guided both local and international visitors. I shared information about sun bears, including their behaviour, habitat, and conservation status, while also helping visitors use the spotting scope to observe sun bears and other wildlife more clearly. Every day gave me opportunities to communicate with different people and improve my confidence in speaking and interacting with visitors.

 

Besides working with visitors, I was also given the opportunity to experience tasks related to bear care and conservation at the Bear Care Unit. I helped prepare food, assisted during feeding sessions, cleaned enclosures, checked sun bear health conditions, and prepared enrichment activities for the sun bears. Although I only spent two weeks at the Bear House, those two weeks became one of the most meaningful experiences during my internship. I would also like to thank my buddy, Kelson, for helping and guiding me throughout my time there. His support made it easier for me to adapt and learn many new things about bear care and conservation work.

 

During my internship at BSBCC, I not only gained experience and knowledge, but I also met many kind and supportive people who helped me adapt to the working environment here. The staff at BSBCC, especially Environmental Education and Shop staff, played a big role in making me feel comfortable while learning and working throughout this journey. Besides my supervisor, Nurul and Joysie became my comfort zone whenever I needed opinions, guidance, or whenever there were things that I did not understand about sun bears and many other matters. Their kindness, patience, and support made me feel welcomed and slowly helped me become more confident in myself. Honestly, they were not just staff to me, but also people who made my internship journey more meaningful and unforgettable.

Looking back, this internship was more than just completing tasks. Every day at BSBCC gave me valuable lessons, unforgettable memories, and meaningful experiences that I will always remember. Most importantly, it opened my eyes to the importance of protecting wildlife and preserving nature for future generations. Thank you, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, for this meaningful journey.