Borneo Today, 24th December 2017
12/31/17
SHOCKING SIGHT!!! ‘PROTECTED’ SUN BEAR MEAT SOLD OPENLY AT LUBOK ANTU
24/12/2017
Borneo Today, 24th December 2017
Borneo Today, 24th December 2017
12/30/17
A Pair of Happy and Lovely Bears
19/12/2017
Text by Seng Yen Wah
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
Kina is a two year-old female sub-adult bear. She was originally named “Kalong” by the previous owner, but her name has been changed to “Kina”, after the place where she was kept at Kinarut, Sabah. Kinarut is a town in Sabah state, located about 20 kilometres south of the state capital, Kota Kinabalu. Kina had been kept as a pet illegally for a year. Her owner claimed that Kina was abandoned by her mother. The story starts with a mother and her cub crossing a road and getting frightened, and then she ran away without bringing her cub with her. The cub is Kina, who had not even opened her eyes yet. Then, her owner took her and kept her for more than a year. After a year keeping Kina in their house, the owner decided to surrender Kina to the Sabah Wildlife Department on the 22nd of February, 2017. Kina arrived at BSBCC on the 1st of March, 2017.
Sikas’ original name was “Sikala”, but we changed her name to the town she was rescued from, the village of Sikalabaan in the Pensiangan district. The Pensiangan district is considered as one of the most rural areas in Sabah. Sika was found by a foreigner who travelled to the village of Sikalabaan, who had visited BSBCC before. After he found Sika was being kept in a chicken mesh cage as a house pet, he decided to call BSBCC and asked for help rescuing this bear cub. Sika was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department on the 9th of February, 2017 and sent to BSBCC on the same day as Kina, 1st of March 2017.
On the 19th of November, 2017 they meet for the very first time. The sliding door is opened slowly by their keeper. Sika and Kina start sniffing at each other through the small gap. Then the door opens wider and they see each other! They are curious so they get closer and sniff each other politely. Kina and Sika are off to a good start and start to play-fight with gentle pawing and soft biting. This is how a bear friendship begins! They seem to get along very well, and spend more time playing together on the hammock platform. It’s non-stop playing for both of them even when they are panting with tiredness. Nothing will stop them playing! Neither of them are aggressive towards each other, hopefully the sign of a beautiful friendship forming between Sika and Kina.
Hello!
Sika, I’m your sister. My name is Kina. Nice to meet you! – Kina
Let’s get playing started!
Showing their canines is one of the ways bears play!
Sika and Kina love to play on the hammock platform.
This honeycomb is mine! – Kina
Playing, playing and more playing!
Pawing and soft biting are their favourite ways of play-fighting!
Sika is clearly the dominant bear. She will grab what she wants first. Kina will try but she always fails, but fear not! This does not affect their friendship! Kina learns to be more tolerant. Sika will dig out some porridge for Kina and they share it. When Sika comes to take Kina’s enrichment, Kina will walk away and go to get the others. Kina is showing how to treat a younger sister – with patience! Sometimes they fight, but they still love each other. When Kina gets tired, Sika is always waiting for Kina to have one more round of playing. Peace and harmony!
I am the dominant! – Sika
Kina, I want this Aussie Dog Ball! – Sika
Ok, fine! I’ll go and get the other one. – Kina
Integration is one of the rehabilitation processes for the bears, as they can learn from each other. Sika and Kina were both kept as pets before, so they lost their chance to learn from their mother. Integration is a good chance to learn from each other about all the pertinent survival skills. Under the care and love of BSBCC, we hope Sika and Kina will grow up and return to the forest together, to become a pair of happy and lovely bears!
We believe that a beautiful friendship is forming between Sika and Kina.
Text by Seng Yen Wah
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
Kina is a two year-old female sub-adult bear. She was originally named “Kalong” by the previous owner, but her name has been changed to “Kina”, after the place where she was kept at Kinarut, Sabah. Kinarut is a town in Sabah state, located about 20 kilometres south of the state capital, Kota Kinabalu. Kina had been kept as a pet illegally for a year. Her owner claimed that Kina was abandoned by her mother. The story starts with a mother and her cub crossing a road and getting frightened, and then she ran away without bringing her cub with her. The cub is Kina, who had not even opened her eyes yet. Then, her owner took her and kept her for more than a year. After a year keeping Kina in their house, the owner decided to surrender Kina to the Sabah Wildlife Department on the 22nd of February, 2017. Kina arrived at BSBCC on the 1st of March, 2017.
Sikas’ original name was “Sikala”, but we changed her name to the town she was rescued from, the village of Sikalabaan in the Pensiangan district. The Pensiangan district is considered as one of the most rural areas in Sabah. Sika was found by a foreigner who travelled to the village of Sikalabaan, who had visited BSBCC before. After he found Sika was being kept in a chicken mesh cage as a house pet, he decided to call BSBCC and asked for help rescuing this bear cub. Sika was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department on the 9th of February, 2017 and sent to BSBCC on the same day as Kina, 1st of March 2017.
On the 19th of November, 2017 they meet for the very first time. The sliding door is opened slowly by their keeper. Sika and Kina start sniffing at each other through the small gap. Then the door opens wider and they see each other! They are curious so they get closer and sniff each other politely. Kina and Sika are off to a good start and start to play-fight with gentle pawing and soft biting. This is how a bear friendship begins! They seem to get along very well, and spend more time playing together on the hammock platform. It’s non-stop playing for both of them even when they are panting with tiredness. Nothing will stop them playing! Neither of them are aggressive towards each other, hopefully the sign of a beautiful friendship forming between Sika and Kina.
Hello!
Sika, I’m your sister. My name is Kina. Nice to meet you! – Kina
Let’s get playing started!
Showing their canines is one of the ways bears play!
Sika and Kina love to play on the hammock platform.
This honeycomb is mine! – Kina
Playing, playing and more playing!
Pawing and soft biting are their favourite ways of play-fighting!
Sika is clearly the dominant bear. She will grab what she wants first. Kina will try but she always fails, but fear not! This does not affect their friendship! Kina learns to be more tolerant. Sika will dig out some porridge for Kina and they share it. When Sika comes to take Kina’s enrichment, Kina will walk away and go to get the others. Kina is showing how to treat a younger sister – with patience! Sometimes they fight, but they still love each other. When Kina gets tired, Sika is always waiting for Kina to have one more round of playing. Peace and harmony!
I am the dominant! – Sika
Kina, I want this Aussie Dog Ball! – Sika
Ok, fine! I’ll go and get the other one. – Kina
Integration is one of the rehabilitation processes for the bears, as they can learn from each other. Sika and Kina were both kept as pets before, so they lost their chance to learn from their mother. Integration is a good chance to learn from each other about all the pertinent survival skills. Under the care and love of BSBCC, we hope Sika and Kina will grow up and return to the forest together, to become a pair of happy and lovely bears!
We believe that a beautiful friendship is forming between Sika and Kina.
The Big Move for Soo Bear that Saved Her Life
12/12/2017
Text by Chiew Lin May
Photos by Seng Yen Wah & Chiew Lin May
Love the first bite of papaya!
Special care is vital for Soo as she requires love to recover from the physical and psychological trauma she endured. We spend more time encouraging her to get use to the sights and scents around her, and to introduce her to different types of enrichment before moving her to a larger den.
Who does not love sleeping platform!
Soo loves every type of food, especially honey, dog biscuits and fruit! It is amazing to see the progress Soo has made in these three months.
Life is very different for Soo today! On 19th November 2017, Soo was released into the great exercise dens.
Bravely took her first step out!
The exercise dens are enriched with natural habitat enrichment such as green leaves, dead wood, a climbing structure, fire hose bags, a sleeping hammock and different types of platforms to stimulate and prepare her for life back in the wild.
Giving her bigger space and access to fresh green leaves with dead log for her to dig and forage, could help to decrease her stereotyping and encourage natural behaviours.
For most of the trauma bears, this is the challenging part they face in the transition from smaller cages to open spaced enclosures. Once the guillotine door was opened, she was peering out at us from her den then she took about 10 minutes to take her brave first steps out to the big exercise dens and made her way to find her favourite treats! She made it!!
She started to explore surrounding
She started to explore surrounding
She is now strolling around her new home and investigates her new finds.
Soo is curious and check out all manner of things in her new larger dens
This is the climbing structure that Soo made to challenge
She keeps sniffed out treats hidden around the enrichment structure.
Honey cannot missed it!!
Yummy!! The smell of extra treats!
Soo enjoying some daily exercise
She is eager to explore her new surroundings. She is becoming more energetic and active by the day. She learns to love everything about her new life, especially now that she knows she is protected and loved.
Day by day, life is getting better for these rescued sun bears that have lived with pain for so long. This allows her to demonstrate her natural behavior, for example foraging and climbing skills.
This is the climbing structure that Soo made to challenge
This is the climbing structure that Soo made to challenge
She finds absolute joy in little things. It is not always an easy journey but seeing Soo munching on termites and playing with enrichment toys assures us it is all worth it.
The enrichment is just for exercise and fun, and to give Soo a puzzle of sorts.
The enrichment is just for exercise and fun, and to give Soo a puzzle of sorts.
The enrichment is just for exercise and fun, and to give Soo a puzzle of sorts.
Loving all the new dead logs
Soo is now at new dens and is doing wonderfully!!
Bright and curious Soo is standing tall, alert with her new surroundings
Over the past few months, Soo has amazed us all with her trauma recovery. Thanks to our dedicated bear team, Soo continues to grow stronger each day.
It is amazing how quickly she adapt it.
It was clear that something needed to change. We owe it to every single one of them to try and return the freedom that belongs to them. Soo has years of rehabilitation ahead of her. Please help us save sun bears and ensure Soo still has a home in the protected forest to return to when the time comes.
Something she has never been given the chance to do before.
Text by Chiew Lin May
Photos by Seng Yen Wah & Chiew Lin May
Love the first bite of papaya!
Special care is vital for Soo as she requires love to recover from the physical and psychological trauma she endured. We spend more time encouraging her to get use to the sights and scents around her, and to introduce her to different types of enrichment before moving her to a larger den.
Who does not love sleeping platform!
Soo loves every type of food, especially honey, dog biscuits and fruit! It is amazing to see the progress Soo has made in these three months.
Life is very different for Soo today! On 19th November 2017, Soo was released into the great exercise dens.
Bravely took her first step out!
The exercise dens are enriched with natural habitat enrichment such as green leaves, dead wood, a climbing structure, fire hose bags, a sleeping hammock and different types of platforms to stimulate and prepare her for life back in the wild.
Giving her bigger space and access to fresh green leaves with dead log for her to dig and forage, could help to decrease her stereotyping and encourage natural behaviours.
For most of the trauma bears, this is the challenging part they face in the transition from smaller cages to open spaced enclosures. Once the guillotine door was opened, she was peering out at us from her den then she took about 10 minutes to take her brave first steps out to the big exercise dens and made her way to find her favourite treats! She made it!!
She started to explore surrounding
She started to explore surrounding
She is now strolling around her new home and investigates her new finds.
Soo is curious and check out all manner of things in her new larger dens
This is the climbing structure that Soo made to challenge
She keeps sniffed out treats hidden around the enrichment structure.
Honey cannot missed it!!
Yummy!! The smell of extra treats!
Soo enjoying some daily exercise
She is eager to explore her new surroundings. She is becoming more energetic and active by the day. She learns to love everything about her new life, especially now that she knows she is protected and loved.
Day by day, life is getting better for these rescued sun bears that have lived with pain for so long. This allows her to demonstrate her natural behavior, for example foraging and climbing skills.
This is the climbing structure that Soo made to challenge
This is the climbing structure that Soo made to challenge
She finds absolute joy in little things. It is not always an easy journey but seeing Soo munching on termites and playing with enrichment toys assures us it is all worth it.
The enrichment is just for exercise and fun, and to give Soo a puzzle of sorts.
The enrichment is just for exercise and fun, and to give Soo a puzzle of sorts.
The enrichment is just for exercise and fun, and to give Soo a puzzle of sorts.
Loving all the new dead logs
Soo is now at new dens and is doing wonderfully!!
Bright and curious Soo is standing tall, alert with her new surroundings
Over the past few months, Soo has amazed us all with her trauma recovery. Thanks to our dedicated bear team, Soo continues to grow stronger each day.
It is amazing how quickly she adapt it.
It was clear that something needed to change. We owe it to every single one of them to try and return the freedom that belongs to them. Soo has years of rehabilitation ahead of her. Please help us save sun bears and ensure Soo still has a home in the protected forest to return to when the time comes.
Something she has never been given the chance to do before.
Freedom
11/12/2017
Text by Eva Jane Muir
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
Although born wild, freedom does not come naturally to many of the rescued sun bears here at the BSBCC. This is unsurprising however, for these bears have suffered traumatic pasts. Stolen from their mothers when they were young, the feel of the earth beneath their paws is a feeling forgotten for a bear raised in a small, dirty metal cage.
When a rescued sun bear first comes to the BSBCC they are freighted and distrustful, for they are unaware that the people here mean them no harm. However, with time and patience, the bears slowly start to rediscover their freedom. This process has no time limit as each individual bear is unique and pushing too hard may result in more harm than good. Imagine, just how tantalizing yet overwhelming the smell of fresh air must be, to a bear with no recollection of what it is like to live free in the forest. But slowly, each rescued bear will take their first steps into the outside world and begin their journey back to freedom.
A sun bear cub learns many vital survival skills from its mother; however the rescued bears here at the BSBCC have been denied this precious knowledge. Because of this, the BSBCC staff must instead teach these bears everything they need to know in order to survive on their own. This is where enrichment comes in, perhaps the most important stage in the sun bear rehabilitation process.
Enrichment is any object or activity designed to stimulate the sun bears and encourage natural behavior. It comes in many forms and the BSBCC staff must always think of new, creative ideas to keep the bears active and busy. There are four main types of enrichment used here at the BSBCC, these are:
1. Environmental Enrichment: Sun bears are the most arboreal of all bear species, and in the wild they will spend the majority of the day resting and foraging in the tree tops. Although they have spent much of their lives confined in atrocious conditions, many of the rescued sun bears here at the BSBCC still poses that natural desire to climb, a behavior we try to encourage. In addition to providing a large, natural forest enclosure full of perfect climbing trees, all bears are provided with hammocks and climbing frames to allow them to rest off the ground. Although sun bears are very active, the bears can often be spotted snoozing in their hammocks on warm afternoons.
2. Foraging Enrichment: Sun bears are omnivorous; their diets consisting of seasonal fruits and nuts, invertebrates, small animals and their favourite treat of all – honey! Here at the BSBCC we try to think of imaginative ways of providing the bears with their food in order to encourage the natural foraging behaviours they would use in the wild. Commonly used techniques include scattering fruits in the forest enclosure, hiding treats under piles of dry leaves and drilling holes in logs to conceal the food inside. Unless they learn to forage themselves the bears cannot be considered as release candidates, so foraging enrichment is incredibly important for the rescued sun bears.
Text by Eva Jane Muir
Photos by Chiew Lin May & Seng Yen Wah
Although born wild, freedom does not come naturally to many of the rescued sun bears here at the BSBCC. This is unsurprising however, for these bears have suffered traumatic pasts. Stolen from their mothers when they were young, the feel of the earth beneath their paws is a feeling forgotten for a bear raised in a small, dirty metal cage.
When a rescued sun bear first comes to the BSBCC they are freighted and distrustful, for they are unaware that the people here mean them no harm. However, with time and patience, the bears slowly start to rediscover their freedom. This process has no time limit as each individual bear is unique and pushing too hard may result in more harm than good. Imagine, just how tantalizing yet overwhelming the smell of fresh air must be, to a bear with no recollection of what it is like to live free in the forest. But slowly, each rescued bear will take their first steps into the outside world and begin their journey back to freedom.
A sun bear cub learns many vital survival skills from its mother; however the rescued bears here at the BSBCC have been denied this precious knowledge. Because of this, the BSBCC staff must instead teach these bears everything they need to know in order to survive on their own. This is where enrichment comes in, perhaps the most important stage in the sun bear rehabilitation process.
Enrichment is any object or activity designed to stimulate the sun bears and encourage natural behavior. It comes in many forms and the BSBCC staff must always think of new, creative ideas to keep the bears active and busy. There are four main types of enrichment used here at the BSBCC, these are:
1. Environmental Enrichment: Sun bears are the most arboreal of all bear species, and in the wild they will spend the majority of the day resting and foraging in the tree tops. Although they have spent much of their lives confined in atrocious conditions, many of the rescued sun bears here at the BSBCC still poses that natural desire to climb, a behavior we try to encourage. In addition to providing a large, natural forest enclosure full of perfect climbing trees, all bears are provided with hammocks and climbing frames to allow them to rest off the ground. Although sun bears are very active, the bears can often be spotted snoozing in their hammocks on warm afternoons.
2. Foraging Enrichment: Sun bears are omnivorous; their diets consisting of seasonal fruits and nuts, invertebrates, small animals and their favourite treat of all – honey! Here at the BSBCC we try to think of imaginative ways of providing the bears with their food in order to encourage the natural foraging behaviours they would use in the wild. Commonly used techniques include scattering fruits in the forest enclosure, hiding treats under piles of dry leaves and drilling holes in logs to conceal the food inside. Unless they learn to forage themselves the bears cannot be considered as release candidates, so foraging enrichment is incredibly important for the rescued sun bears.
3. Sensory Enrichment:Sun bears have an extremely sensitive nose and their sense of smell is vital for both finding food and detecting danger in the wild. Sensory enrichment encourages the bears to use their sense of smell by concealing strong smelling treats such as honey or peanut butter in a puzzle or toy. Often, these enrichments are constructed using recycled fire hose or strong plastic as these materials are tough even against the bear’s powerful claws. Alternatively, treats can be hidden in bundles of vegetation held together with vive, creating a very natural enrichment which encourages both sensory and foraging behaviours. All the rescued sun bears at the BSBCC have completely individual personalities, including their own food preferences, so these enrichments can be trailered to specific bears or social groups to get the best bahavioural results.
4. Social Enrichment:Although sun bears are solitary in the wild, we encourage the rescued bears to interact with each other at the BSBCC as we believe the best enrichment of all is another bear. Many of the sun bear form close bonds with one another, and can often be seen playing together or snoozing together in a shared hammock. However, this type of enrichment offers more than simply comfort - it is an important part of the rehabilitation process as it enables the bears to learn survival skills from each other. Additionally, social enrichment is an excellent way of reducing stereotypic behaviors such as pacing and swaying.
Unfortunately, it is simply not possible for all of the rescued sun bears to return to the freedom of the wild. For some, the physical or emotional damage inflicted by humans is just too great. For these bears, enrichment serves a different purpose. It provides comfort, stimulation, interest and a means of displaying all the behaviours which come naturally to them. Although they may never be truly free, the care and enrichment provided to these sun bears by the BSBCC staff allow the bears to live their lives free from pain, fear and suffering, just as they deserve.
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