Another day in the forest with Tenom 😍
What an eventful day today! Tenom experienced many different
things today - climbed almost 5 metres up a tree, found ants at the base of a
dead tree and had a cool down in the tiniest pool of water.
We love seeing her explore and learn in her natural
environment.
Again, we are grateful to all of Tenom's supporters for
allowing her to do so 😊
Yayasan Hasanah
Kementerian Kewangan
Yayasan Sime Darby
Bask Bear Coffee
Planet Wild
Today is the day our team has all been looking forward to! After countless tiring nights, meticulous planning, and unwavering effort, we have finally arrived at this pivotal moment: walking Tenom through the forest for the very first time.
Tenom, now approximately 11 months old, has grown into a
feisty and independent sun bear since her arrival. From the outset, she has
shown a strong preference for forest foods, particularly termites and other
insects. Her love for climbing knows no bounds, and she spends a significant
portion of her time exploring the heights of her night den independently.
Earlier this month, Tenom was transferred to the Tabin Sun
Bear Project base camp, where she became the candidate for a soft release
project that has been in development for quite some time. After several weeks
of careful observation, she has acclimated to her new surroundings. And today,
her dedicated caretakers took her out to explore the surrounding forest—an
event that filled the team with both excitement and apprehension.
Given Tenom’s curious nature and previous trial walks at BSBCC, we knew she wouldn’t respond to her name being called like some of the other cubs we’ve worked with. Our concern was that she might venture deep into the forest reserve, never to be seen again.
But we are thrilled to share with all our supporters that
the first exploration session with Tenom was a resounding success! As soon as
she stepped out, she immediately explored the area, wasting no time in scaling
the nearest tree. With her caretakers watching closely, she climbed every
available tree and even stumbled upon a log teeming with termites on her own—a
delightful find for a sun bear! Remarkably, she fearlessly attempted to conquer
a tree twice her size.
During the observation period, her caretakers allowed her
some space to exhibit her behavior. To our delight, even in her excitement,
Tenom would occasionally glance back at them, ensuring she stayed within a
reasonable distance. This behavior reaffirmed the strong bond she has formed
with the team.
As the day drew to a close, Tenom returned to her night den
following her caretakers, leaving us with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Our little sun bear is indeed “born to be wild,” and we eagerly await more
adventures as she continues her journey in the forest.
Moving forward, our plan is to continue bringing her out so
she becomes accustomed to the forest environment around her. Eventually, we’ll
take her further to explore and develop the survival skills necessary for life
in the forest reserve. Our goal is to ensure she becomes confident and
independent. This is just the beginning of Tenom’s journey, and we are fully
committed to the success of this project.
A heartfelt thank you to each and every one of our
supporters for giving us the opportunity to dedicate our best efforts to
rehabilitating our sweet baby Tenom:
Yayasan Hasanah
Kementerian Kewangan
Yayasan Sime Darby
Bask Bear Coffee
Planet Wild
Thank you CLC Ladang Luboh for visiting us today! We hope they learned a lot from the visit and will help spread awareness to save the sun bears.
Ready to plan your school trip? Email us at
info.bsbcc@gmail.com
Sun bears in the wild are opportunistic omnivores that live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They use their long claws and tongues to find and eat a variety of foods, such as fruits, insects, honey, and small animals. Sun bears are especially fond of figs and stingless bees, which they can smell from far away.
Here at BSBCC, we provide a variety of fruits and vegetables
in their diet. We also provide them with enrichment items like termites, dead
logs with ants and seasonal fruits. Feeding times and spots are randomised to
allow the bears to forage for their own food naturally.
As always, a big thank you to Yayasan Hasanah , Kementerian
Kewangan and Yayasan Sime Darby for supporting BSBCC, allowing us to ensure
the best lives for our 44 rescued bears.
Thank you, SK Ladang Bode Kretam, for visiting us today! They managed to see seven sun bears roaming in our forest enclosures. We hope they had a great time here and gained some knowledge about sun bears. Together, we spread the word to save the smallest species of bear in the world! See you guys again!
