Comments on: Captive sun bears series I: Because they are cute!

By: If you think babies are cute, you’ll love sun bear cubs « Tipped Ear Clan

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:52:38 +0000

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By: Siew Te Wong

Siew Te Wong — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:08:44 +0000

I agree with you Cassie. I am doing my best to save them believe me. This is why I am setting up the BSBCC, to rescue these poor captive bears. The project so far reveive no financial support from the government so I need to fund raise all teh money it needs to build it. You can read more about BSBCC on earlier post. We need your helps.

By: cassie 14

cassie 14 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:53:35 +0000

i think the bears are cute and should not be sold for pets and i will do any thing to help to save them …..

By: Wanda, Atlanta

Wanda, Atlanta — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:59:05 +0000

Thanks to all for info and web sites - I will read but 20 years of a bear lying down being drained two and three times a day of its bile is just hard for me to take - even if it saves lives of others — my God there has to be a more humane way to get it - there just has to be - even Chimps used in research could sit upright!

By: Christine C.

Christine C. — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:48:54 +0000

Wong — happy to have passed on the information about Catoctin…Eostair was born in 2005 and I believe has two older sisters…so I don’t think she is the only sun bear to have been born there.

By: Siew Te Wong

Siew Te Wong — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:00:31 +0000

Thanks Nancy and Annie,
Thanks for your complement (of course including the part that saying I am cute too J!) I would not take all the credit because there are a lot of people, funders, friends, colleagues, family and others who support all of my works over the past many years. The journey of helping sun bears is still long and I see the setting up BSBCC is an urgent need in order for me to do more. So far no NGO or any government body works specifically for sun bear like other more charismatic species in SE Asia. I really hope I can do more and help more. Supports from all of you in any which way is crucial to make all of these happen!

By: Siew Te Wong

Siew Te Wong — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:50:03 +0000

Hi Christine,
Thanks for the information about Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo. They sure do a lot of good works to help sun bear. I am not sure the AZA Bear TAG know about the birth of the baby sun bear. I am sure they find the information valuable. So far only San Diego Zoo has success breeding of sun bears in the past few years. Both of the parent actually came from Sabah where I am working now.

By: Siew Te Wong

Siew Te Wong — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:43:11 +0000

Hi Sheryl,
You are right, the use and the demand of bear bile is most popular in China due to the population size, history, and now the economic power to consume such commodity. Thanks for the link about UDCA. I am sure other readers found it very interesting.

By: Siew Te Wong

Siew Te Wong — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:07:48 +0000

Hi Wanda,
Sheryl is right. Bear bile works and both the very rich people from Japan, Korea, China, etc., to the very poor villagers in Southeast Asian know that it works to cure many illnesses. These are the highly sough items that can save some family members live, if they ever needed it one day. Like other animal produces use in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine or TAM Traditional Asian Medicine), bear bile has been use for a long time. It is a very difficult situation to stop the use of this produce. Maybe in civilize world low enforcement is one way, but in really rural area or non civilize places, law enforcement virtually non-existence. Is complicated. As conservationist and biologist, we need to do our part to educate people and secure remaining population in the wild. This is what we should do.

By: Annie

Annie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:06:23 +0000

Very cute bear……I hate to hear that happened to its mother……..just awful…..people are terrible………just using and abusing the animals…..thank you for what you do!