A Bear’s Eye View of Sun Bears – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

A Bear’s Eye View of Sun Bears – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre




http://behindtheschemes.org/2012/06/30/a-bears-eye-view-of-sun-bears/

Published on Jun 30, 2012 by savingrhinos



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Annamiticus presents “Behind the Schemes” — a web series and podcast which discusses how commerce, corruption, and counterfeit cures are destroying our Planet’s precious wildlife. In this episode, host Rhishja Cota-Larson is getting “A Bear’s Eye View of Sun Bears” with Siew Te Wong, founder and CEO of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
Join us each week as we feature international guests discussing the challenges of protecting wildlife in the modern world.
Learn more about our web series “Behind the Schemes” at ?http://behindtheschemes.org? and subscribe to the BTS podcast on iTunes: ?http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-schemes/id508618386?

A Further Step for Bongkud – Body Health Check – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

A Further Step for Bongkud – Body Health Check – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Text and Photos by Tee Thye Lim

A health check has been performed on Bongkud by Dr. Diana Ramirez from Wildlife Rescue Unit, Sabah Widlife Department (SWD) and Wong on June 26th.

Wong was moving Bongkud out from the cage

Through the health check, we found out that there are some conditions of Bongkud that need to be improved to make sure that she grow healthy under the care of BSBCC.

Bongkud, the latest recued sun bear who reached BSBCC on 19^th June 2012, only weigh 16kg and consider as “underweight” her size.

Roshan & Wai Pak were assisting the health check

Wong checked on the heartbeat of Bongkud while Dr. Diana was checking for her body temperature.

Bongkud has a new set of permanant teeth and her canines are still erupting.

Bongkud's canines still under eruption

Compare to a healthy sun bear, the coat of Bongkud is yellowish, meager, and dried. We suspected this condition is due to malnutrition.

At the same time, her body also has few patches of old wounds and scars on her head and paw. Wong suspected the wounds and scars could resulted from the rubbing against small cage in the previous cage where she grow up.

The wound patch on the right paw of Bongkud probably due to rubbing on cage.

The wound patch on the head of Bongkud

A scar was found on the upper left of her chest mark, which we don’t know the actual cause.

Can you spot the scar?

Rashes were found between her claws. Cream was applied by Dr. Diana on Bongkud’s claw.

Rashes were found between the claws

Bongkud’s health check took us around 30 minutes to complete.

Wong placed Bongkud back to her temporary cage

Miami University – Dragonfly Project students visit BSBCC – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Miami University – Dragonfly Project students visit BSBCC – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Text by Gloria Ganang and photo by Tee Thye Lim

The BSBCC welcomed 21 students from Miami University today. They arrived at 11am and it was just the right time to see the bears resting or taking their naps in the enclosure, which is right after their feeding time. The bears were already on their most comfortable position between tree branches, taking their afternoon naps as the group emerge towards the observation platform. Sun Bears usually take naps in the afternoon for an hour or two. Seeing a bear resting between tree branches is always spectacular and amusing even for the BSBCC staff! You are one of the lucky ones if you get to see this, as this particular experience would be very rare especially in the wild. Sun bears might just move away when sensing human presence. We also get to share the experience of Manis, one of the adult female of the centre foraging for food on the forest floor.

While enjoying the tropical forest environment on the observation platform, Wong, the founder and CEO of BSBCC told fascinating stories about sun bears in the wild.

It is always a pleasure for us to share our interests and concerns about sun bears with as many people as possible. We would like to take this wonderful opportunity to thank the Miami University group for supporting us through their donation. Thanks for buying our t-shirts and bandanas as well! It would really help us in rehabilitating the sun bears and spread the words about the forgotten bear – the sun bears!

The enrichment workshop at BSBCC – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

The enrichment workshop at BSBCC – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Text by Anna Wade

Photo: Siew Te Wong

Here at the centre, enrichment is a key focus and it is important that all of the staff and volunteers have a complete understanding of what providing enrichment entails. Over a 3 day period, BSBCC project manager’s Wai Pak dedicated his time to helping the team to understand the importance of enrichment for all captive animals as well as the importance of meeting the animals daily needs. In attendance were the 3 office staff, Gloria, Thye Lim and Dawn, 2 of the keepers, Daniel and Beyri, the 3 current bear volunteers, Anna, Miriam and Leanne and the volunteers on the travellers program… so it was quite a full room!

Wai Pak broke the talks into 3 categories; the 1^st talk was on animal welfare, the 2^nd was on enrichment and the 3^rd was on types of enrichment, and also gave examples of when enrichment can go wrong. Everyone was encouraged to engage in the talk by asking questions and there was some very good points raised, especially in regards to what is best for our bears at the centre. Overall the response from everyone involved was very positive. As many of the enrichment ideas have already proven to be successful with the bears, it encouraged us to think more outside the box. Hopefully everyone will take what they learnt away with them and use it to positively improve the lives of the bears and any captive animals they encounter in the future. Thanks Wai Pak!!

Another new sun bear rescued by SWD and BSBCC – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Another new sun bear rescued by SWD and BSBCC – Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Text and photos by Siew Te Wong

BSBCC recently received a new rescued pet sun bear cub. Kept in a small cage, this poor bear was first seen by a friend of BSBCC in a remote village call Bongkud near Poring Hot Spring in Ranau Township, central Sabah. He then reported the incident to BSBCC and we filed a report to Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD). A rescue operation was conducted by the Sabah Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Rescue Unit on June 7th.

We name this female cub “Bongkud,” after the name of the village where she was rescued. It was already nightfall on June 19th when Bongkud arrived at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Weighing about 12 kg and with milk teeth attached, we estimated Bongkud about 10 months old. Unlike other sun bears, the coat of Bongkud looks rather dried, meager, and yellowish. I suspected she is suffering from malnutrition, a common problem that we experience from captive sun bear cubs. Her body has few patches of old scars that could resulted from unknown wounds and rubbing against small cages.

Bongkud is tame and did not show any sign of aggression since she arrived at the centre. Her mellow behavior could mean one thing- she was captured from the wild at a very young age. We still have not received her full report about the confiscation and information about the previous owner so we have no way to tell about her history. We placed her in a temporary cage. A full medical examination and health check will be carried out soon by the SWD’s veterinarian to check for potential illness and assess general health.

The number of rescued sun bear currently house at BSBCC is now reached 27 bears with the arrival of Bongkud. We hope we could provide a good and safe halfway house for her at the same time plans for reintroduction is underway. The task is never easy since the first day we started the project. However, with your help and support, we are determine to give these rescued sun bears a better home!

Bongkud's fur appear to be quit yellow and less black Bongkud is curios on the tired that we give her as toy in her cage.

Bongkud is curios on the tired that we give her as toy in her cage.