Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Text and photos by Maria Collin

I am very happy to announce that my little sun bear, Jelita, made
specially for the next BSBCC fundraiser has won a Golden George Award -
the “Oscar” of the teddy bear world!
I entered her in the competition in the hope that she might engender
more awareness of Sun bears – and she did me proud! I was stunned and
thrilled to bits when she won the “naturbär” category…………and i
have to say that the trophy is quite something – two kilos of solid
bronze, and heavy to hold when you are shaking with emotion and excitement!
The Golden George competition is run in conjunction with the Teddybär
Total show in Münster, Germany – a two day event which attracts
exhibitors from all over the world. And there  I was there with my
bears, but wearing sun bear t.shirts – a copy of Forty Wild Life Heroes
open on my table (at the appropriate section) and  telling anyone who
would listen about “our ” bears
And the nicest thing happened on saturday morning……the show
organiser took the Bürgermeisterin (Mayoress) of Münster around the
show, after she had opened it………….came to my table, introduced
us and then told her that I not only make bears but campaign hard for
REAL bears – how nice was that? Result is that she went off clutching a
flyer inviting her to our fund raiser………YAY!
anyway – Jelita is one of the prizes in our June fundraiser – and she
comes with added allure……..”Oscar – winer”.  I hope she raises lots
for the BSBCC………..oh – but I get to keep the trophy !
 

 

 

By Siew Te Wong

I am humbled and honored to have been select as one of the 40 Wildlife Heroes across the world who featured in the Book “Wildlife Heroes: 40 Leading Conservationists and the Animals They Are Committed to Saving.”

Thank you the authors of the book, Julie Scardina and Jeff Flocken for your kindness to feature me and my work on sun bears in this book.

Thank you all of you who supported and helped me over the years, and keep supporting and helping on our work on sun bears.

Without your support, I would not be what I am today.

Without your help, we would not be achieving what we have achieved today.

Together we can, we have, and we will make a different!

 Thank you all!

 

 

  

 

From http://www.wildlifeheroes.org/

People around the world are fascinated by wildlife and wildlife conservationists – they are captivated by the animals, and those people working in the remote corners of the Earth to save them. Wildlife Heroes provides a visual and written window into the world of these admired individuals, the fascinating species and the issues that must be resolved to save them.

With one-third of known species being threatened with extinction, wildlife conservationists are some of the most important heroes on the planet, and Wildlife Heroes profiles the work of 40 of the leading conservationists and the animals and causes they are committed to saving, such as Belinda Low (zebras), Iain Douglas-Hamilton (elephants), Karen Eckert (sea turtles), S.T. Wong (sun bear), Steve Galster (wildlife trade), and Wangari Maathai (habitat loss). Since we all should have an interest in conservation, there is a chapter providing information on ways people can get involved and make a difference. Chapter introductions are by author Kuki Gallmann, actor Ted Danson, actress Stefanie Powers, Congressman Jay Inslee, and TV personality Jack Hanna.

The book’s stunning photos capture the beauty of the animals and the magnetism of the heroes as they work in the often grueling conditions where the animals live. Each chapter is introduced with a personal essay by celebrities who themselves are committed wildlife champions, including actor Ted Danson (Cheers, CSI), actress Stephanie Powers (Heart to Heart, Herbie Rides Again), US Representative Jay Inslee, TV Host Jack Hanna (Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures, Into The Wild), and author Kuki Gallman (I Dreamed of Africa).

Wildlife Heroes will appeal to both avid animal enthusiasts and casual readers wishing to learn more about our planet and the people working to protect it.

Julie Scardina

Julie Scardina is Animal Ambassador and Corporate Curator responsible for Animal Training and Animal Ambassador programs for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Scardina serves on the board of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, is an active mentor and board member with the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders and participates on the World Wildlife Fund National Council. She regularly travels into the field to learn about and document the projects and conservation issues so important today. Scardina shares her passion for animals and the parks education, conservation and rescue efforts as a monthly guest on the “Today” show and as a long time guest on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Scardina graduated with honors from San Diego State University.

Jeff Flocken

Jeff Flocken is DC Office Director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare where he leads the organization’s policy experts advocating for animals. In this capacity he works on campaigns combating the wildlife trade and conserving polar bears, lions, whales, tigers, and elephants, among other species. Before this, Flocken worked for the US government doing international species conservation. Flocken has been a consultant on movies, books and television shows addressing wildlife issues, and serves on advisory boards for several wildlife organizations. Flocken is also the cofounder of the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders initiative which mentors and provides training for up-and-coming wildlife leaders. He has a law degree from Wayne State Law School, and graduated with honors from the University of Michigan.

The Heroes:

Marc Ancrenaz

HUTAN, Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project

 

Claudine Andre

Friends of Bonobos

 

George Archibald

The International Crane Foundation

 

Felicity Arengo

The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History

 

May Berenbaum

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Conservation through Poverty Alleviation International

 

Shivani Bhalla

The Ewaso Lions Project

 

Elena Bykova

Saiga Conservation Alliance

 

Rogerio Cunha de Paula

Instituto Pro-Carnivoros

 

Ted Danson

Oceana

 

Vera da Silva

Projecto Boto

 

Luke Dollar

Earthwatch Institute

 

Iain Douglas-Hamilton

Save the Elephants

 

Raoul du Toit

International Rhino Foundation

 

Sylvia Earle

National Geographic Society
Deep Search Foundation

 

Karen Eckert

Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network

 

Claudia Feh

TAKH: The Association for the Przewalski’s Horse

 

Grace Ge Gabriel

International Fund for Animal Welfare

 

Steve Galster

FREELAND

 

Kuki Gallmann

The Gallmann Africa Conservancy

 

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall Institute

 

Edgardo Griffith

Houston Zoo El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center

 

Rosamira Guillen

Proyecto Titi

 

Jack Hanna

Columbus Zoo Partners in Conservation

 

Alison Jolly

Lemur Conservation Foundation
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

 

Gerald Kooyman

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

 

Belinda Low

Grevy’s Zebra Trust

 

John Lukas

Okapi Conservation Project of Gilman International Conservation

Wildlife Conservation Network

 

Wangari Maathai

Green Belt Movement

 

Laurie Marker

Cheetah Conservation Fund

 

Diane McTurk

Karanambu Trust

 

Patricia Medici

IUCN Tapir Specialist Group

 

Stefanie Powers

William Holden Wildlife Foundation

 

Gregory Rasmussen

Painted Dog Conservation

 

Eugene Rutagarama

International Gorilla Conservation Programme

 

Kassie Siegel

Center for Biological Diversity

 

Claudio Sillero

Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme

 

Leandro Silveira

Jaguar Conservation Fund

 

Judy St. Leger

SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund

 

Brent Stewart

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute

 

Deborah Tabart

Australia Koala Foundation

 

Nguyen Van Thai

Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program

 

Merlin Tuttle

Bat Conservation International

 

Amanda Vincent

Project Seahorse

 

Siew Te Wong

Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center

 

 

Reviews:

The wildlife and wild places of our planet are threatened as never before by human population growth and our constant destruction of the natural environment. We desperately need wildlife heroes, and this timely book celebrates 40 of those who are struggling to save various species around the world. These men and women are shining inspirations, and hopefully, after reading this book, you will be inspired to do something yourself to help animals in need.”

Jane Goodall Ph.D., DBE, Founder – The Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace

Publishers Weekly
“Environmental advocates Scardina and Flocken profile the grassroots organizations, tenacious scientists, and willful philanthropists that shape today’s conservation policy and practice. Each portrait centers on a threatened or endangered species and describes the life and work of the person who has dedicated his career to protecting the species from extinction. Organized into sections corresponding to the four elements—Earth, Water, Air, and Fire—with introductory essays by celebrities like Ted Danson, the subjects are grouped according to their habitat, with “Fire” focusing on the broader threats to the world’s ecosystems. The pithy summaries of the activists’ struggles are accompanied by informative tidbits about the biology, behavior, natural history, and cultural context of the target species, along with delightful photographs of both human and beast. From the grassland-dwelling maned wolf of Central South America to the iceberg-hopping emperor penguin of Antarctica, the book shows how negative human interference imperils the welfare of all living things, and suggests that by taking an active role in conservation, education, and community building, we can help prevent the tragic loss of the world’s biological diversity.”

Booklist
“Conservationists Scardina (a regular on Today and The Tonight Show) and Flocken have created an alluring book of dazzling photographs and stirring stories of adventure and breakthroughs that introduces intriguing “wildlife heroes” and portrays the imperiled animals they have dedicated, even risked, their lives to save… this keenly charismatic, solidly informative call for the preservation of life affirms that it is still possible, with concerted effort, to save animals from extinction.”

 

Read more about this book at:

http://www.wildlifeheroes.org/

 http://behindtheschemes.org/2012/02/25/saving-the-worlds-smallest-bear/

Episode 2: “Saving the World’s Smallest Bear”
Guest: Siew Te Wong, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Host: Rhishja Cota-Larson

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/UOSKfkXsueA" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Repost from http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0727-hance_wildlifecrime_seasia.html

How to fight organized wildlife crime in East Asia
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
July 27, 2011

Slow lorises, like these caged individuals, are imperiled in Southeast Asia for the illegal pet trade. In the wild, traders kill loris parents to take their babies. Pet lorises have their teeth pulled out to make them appear ‘cuter’. Photo courtesy of the Wildlife Conservaiton Society (WCS).

Organized criminal syndicates are wiping out some of the world’s most charismatic wildlife to feed a growing appetite for animal parts in East Asia#8212;and so far governments and law enforcement are dropping the ball. This is the conclusion from a new paper in Oryx, which warns unless officials start taking wildlife crime seriously a number of important species could vanish from the Earth.

“We are failing to conserve some of the world’s most beloved and charismatic species,” Elizabeth Bennett, author of the paper, said in a press release. “We are rapidly losing big, spectacular animals to an entirely new type of trade driven by criminalized syndicates. It is deeply alarming, and the world is not yet taking it seriously. When these criminal networks wipe out wildlife, conservation loses, and local people lose the wildlife on which their livelihoods often depend.”

Organized criminals are decimating some of the world’s favorite species: rhinos, elephants, and tigers are all imperiled by the bloody trade. However, the trade has also hit lesser-known species, such as pangolins, saiga, slow lorises, sun bears, and any number of bird and reptile species. The consequences of this trade are massive: tigers are down to a few thousand survivors, two species of rhino are now dubbed Critically Endangered, the saiga antelope has seen its population drop by 95 percent in two decades, and many forests in Southeast Asia have been described as eerily quiet due to a lack of wildlife.

Songbirds sold in a Laos market for food. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.

 

 

In the struggle to save these species from the illegal trade, officials are being out-witted and out-funded by sophisticated smugglers who employ the newest technology, clever techniques, and corruption to avoid arrest. Perhaps, even more importantly, wildlife crime is simply not seen as a priority in many parts of the world, where enforcement is lacking and laws are out-of-date.

“The trade is large-scale and commercialized: elaborate and costly hidden compartments in shipping containers or below wholesale shipments of sawn timber, fish or scrap products, in which are concealed massive quantities of wildlife products from ivory to bear paws and frozen pangolins. The traders are also light on their feet, frequently changing routes and modes of operation as enforcement commences in any one place, and continually working through the routes and means of least resistance. [...] Trade through e-commerce from web sites whose location is difficult to detect and who operate beyond the current realms of wildlife legislation and enforcement is a further challenge,” Bennett, who began her career in conservation more than 25 years ago in Asia, writes in the paper. She now works for Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Bennett says the ultimate responsibility for this wholesale decimation of species is due to rising demand for wildlife products in countries like China, Vietnam, and Thailand. In many cases consumers are paying high prices for illegal wildlife products which they believe are curatives. However scientists have shown that animal parts such as rhino horns have no medicinal benefits whatsoever.

According to Bennett there is only one way to stop the criminal activity in time to save species from extinction: law enforcement.

“Enforcement is critical: old fashioned in concept but needing increasingly advanced methods to challenge the ever-more sophisticated methods of smuggling. When enforcement is thorough, and with sufficient resources and personnel, it works,” she writes. Although ‘old-fashioned’ Bennett says tools such as DNA testing kits, smartphone apps for species ID, and high-tech software for Internet crime need to be employed.

Currently enforcement is especially lacking along trade routes and in markets. In many parts of Southeast Asia one can finds illegal wildlife parts sold openly with no fear of punishment.

“We must dedicate the intellectual, funding and personnel resources needed to supersede those of the criminal organizations involved,” she writes. “This requires greatly increased numbers of highly trained and well equipped staff at all points along the trade chain: most especially in core sites where the species are being hunted but also along key transportation routes and in end markets.”

Dealer shows off coats of wild cats in market in China. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laws that were crafted before the current crisis of the illegal trade also must be updated.

Bennett says that changing the cultural beliefs that prop up this illegal trade should pursued, but laments that such changes ‘is likely to be on a generational time scale.’

“We do not have that luxury of time for many of the species currently targeted by trade,” she explains. “In the short-term the only practical way to reduce demand is through enforcement, both acting as a deterrent and also demonstrating that this is not a socially acceptable norm,” Bennett writes.

In the end, the survival of elephants, tigers, and rhinos, along with innumerable other species, depends on law enforcement, the judiciary, governments, NGOs, and the public coming together to tackle the below-the-radar problem.

“Unless we start taking wildlife crime seriously and allocating the commitment of resources appropriate to tackling sophisticated, well-funded, globally-linked criminal operations, population of some of the most beloved but economically prized, charismatic species will continue to wink out across their range, and, appallingly, altogether,” Bennett warns.

CITATION: Elizabeth L. Bennett. Another inconvenient truth: the failure of enforcement systems to save charismatic species. Oryx. doi:10.1017/S003060531000178X.

Repost from http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0802-malaysian_palm_oil_standard.html

Malaysian government to launch RSPO rival for palm oil certification
mongabay.com
August 02, 2011

The Malaysian government is developing its own certification system for palm oil production, potentially creating another rival to the certification system run by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), reports Malaysia’s Business Times.

Speaking in Australia, Malaysian Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok said the government is in the “preliminary stage” of developing a sustainability standard for palm oil production to counter tighter standards being pushed by the RSPO.

“We will go ahead because the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil keeps on changing its goal posts on how to produce sustainable palm oil,” he was quoted as saying. “We will come up with a national certification scheme.”

Indonesia — the world’s top palm oil producer — has already announced its own certification scheme, which is primarily based on compliance with Indonesian law and is therefore compulsory.

Malaysian Palm Oil Council Chief Yusof Basiron said Malaysia’s certification standard would be similar and aim to address concerns raised by environmentalists.

Oil palm seed. Palm oil is used widely in processed foods. By virtue of its high yield, palm oil is a cheaper substitute than other vegetable oils. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.

“The industry is already highly monitored. We will just tweak it a little bit and look at what the market and the NGOs want,” Basiron was quoted as saying.

“If they don’t want deforestation, then we will include it in the certification requirements. If they don’t want orang utan to be destroyed, we will include it too.”

The remarks came as both officials met in Australia to voice opposition to an Australian bill that would require separate listing of palm oil on product labels. Presently palm oil can be generically listed as “vegetable oil” under Australian food regulations, but green groups, concerned over deforestation associated with some palm oil production, have pushed for stricter labeling requirements. The Malaysian palm oil industry says labeling — which only applies to palm oil, not other vegetable oils — could lead to discrimination against palm oil-containing products. Up to half of processed food products in some markets contain palm oil, according to the environmental group WWF, which is pushing RSPO certification.

While the creation of another certification standard could create confusion in the marketplace, at least one RSPO member welcomed the move.

“The fact that they are creating their own system (just as Indonesia before them), means RSPO is transforming the system,” said the member, who requested anonymity since he wasn’t authorized to speak on behalf of the organization. “It is, essentially, a race to the top instead of the bottom. Our standard will move towards sustainability and the market will respond.”

“In short, we welcome such developments,” he continued. “If anything, it reinforces what we hope to achieve.”

The RSPO was launched in 2004 as a way to address growing concerns over palm oil production. Its code of conduct includes an explicit commitment to “continual improvement” of its standards.

The first shipments of RSPO-certified palm oil reached market in late 2008. Since then, production has surged, reaching 4.7 million metric tons through the first three months of 2011. A number of the world’s largest producers, traders, financiers, and buyers have now joined the RSPO, including Walmart, Hersheys and CitiBank last week.

But the RSPO has faced criticism from some environmentalists, who say its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms remain weak.

The RSPO recently took action against IOI Group, a Malaysia-based member accused of particularly egregious breaches of RSPO’s code, including social conflict with forest people and clearing of rainforests. Last year the body booted PT SMART, Indonesia’s largest palm oil producer, after it was found to be in violation of RSPO standards. PT SMART has since announced a strict forest policy that will allow it to attain RSPO certification.

Due to WordPress did not support Japanese characters, the article below appear as “?” code.

Please go to http://jwc-web.org/news_world/topics.cgi to read the original posting.

Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
http://sunbears.wildlifedirect.org/

Wong’s note: Thank you Hina Fukuda from Japan Wildlife Center for writing this article and help us promote sun bear and their plights in Japan!

http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=60213

This article was printed from Sun2Surf

Article’s URL: http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=60213

—————————

Long way to go

By Azrina Abdullah

By: (Sun, 24 Apr 2011)

National Geographic Magazine published last year The Kingpin, an expose on wildlife smuggling. The story’s author, Bryan Christy, recently won a Genesis Award by the Humane Society for ‘Most Outstanding Written Word’. I caught up with him to get his thoughts on the impact of the story and Malaysia’s progress in wildlife trade management. WHAT has your story and the award achieved for conservation?
There is a history of treating wildlife traffickers as amusing, small-time smugglers who are only smuggling a couple of parrots. Wildlife traffickers like Anson Wong move endangered species around the world and employ all the same techniques as other criminal syndicate heads, whether drug traffickers, human traffickers, or arms traffickers. Hopefully, the article and the award will get more media to treat commercial-scale, wildlife traffickers as the global criminals they are.

 

When the story was published, it received an overwhelming response from many Malaysians. Were you expecting such a response from Malaysia?
I was surprised. When you spend enough time on wildlife-related crime you get used to people not caring. But the response from the Malaysian people, journalists, politicians and NGOs was immediate and commendable. Everybody got involved. The people took the lead. Letters flooded newspapers demanding reform, Op-Eds were published. Major policy influencers such as yourself made sure Perhilitan (Wildlife and National Parks Department) could not hide from its record. NGOs including Traffic, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, and NatureAlert pressed for administrative and legislative reform. Members of Parliament demanded change. As a result, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry finally announced action. The results demonstrate there is an ecosystem that can address cancers like wildlife traffickers if everyone in the system plays his or her part.

You have been following Malaysia’s efforts on addressing its illegal wildlife trade matters over the past few years and of course, Anson Wong’s imprisonment. Thoughts?
The demand for reform has been amazing. Last year, Malaysia passed the Wildlife Conservation Act. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) raided Perhilitan. The ministry changed its special permits programme and promised to revamp Perhilitan management. Anson was caught and sentenced to prison, his business was closed, his licences were cancelled, and his animals, including his tigers, seized. But, when you peel these back a little you see that not everything is as it appears. The ministry has not followed through with its promise to revamp Perhilitan. The MACC investigation went nowhere. When Anson Wong was arrested, the government seized his cell phones and laptop. This was one of the most important wildlife crime intelligence opportunities ever, not just for Malaysia but for the world. Wong’s emails, documents, and contacts listed could expose the network of wildlife traders around the world, but the government has not pursued that opportunity. Amazingly, I’m told Perhilitan has taken possession of Wong’s equipment.

It’s been three years since I first wrote about Anson Wong in my book The Lizard King, in that time we have not seen a single additional major wildlife trafficker exposed in Malaysia …. it seems it will only do something after the people demand it. If that’s the case, it’s up to the people, NGOs and journalists to expose other wildlife traffickers in Malaysia.

I’ve touched on corruption among government officers in my column but have never found a satisfactory answer to the question of how we should deal with it. Your National Geographic article tells the story of how a wildlife trafficker prospered for this very reason. What are your thoughts on addressing this problem?
Before I respond, I want to say first that your column has been critically important to wildlife conservation. You have consistently shone a bright light on problem areas, with very positive results for reform in Malaysia and around the world. I hope you will keep doing it, and that others will join you in speaking out.

We did not emphasise the word corruption in the story. We didn’t have to. Malaysia’s record on stopping wildlife smuggling is disastrous. Until he was caught by an airport employee smuggling snakes through KLIA last year, Perhilitan’s leadership denied Anson Wong had ever committed a crime. In 1997, after the US Government caught Wong smuggling wildlife, he confessed in a US federal court to years of smuggling endangered species. Instead of investigating him, Perhilitan’s deputy director-general accused the US Government of framing him. When The Lizard King first came out the deprtment issued a press statement attacking me as a liar and called my book “completely made up”.

Wildlife traffickers around the world use Malaysia as a hub. From African gorillas to Malagasy tortoises, rare species are moved to and through Malaysia by wildlife kingpins. It has been going on for decades. As government agencies, Perhilitan and Customs bear primary responsibility for the success of wildlife traffickers.

In general, I am not talking about lower level officers. I’ve met a lot of dedicated Perhilitan officers and rangers. If given strong leadership, I believe those officers could make a positive difference. The problem is not Perhilitan, it is Perhilitan’s top leadership.

As for fixing corruption, there is a relatively simple test for who should be allowed to lead wildlife-related law enforcement institutions: Have wildlife traffickers significantly prospered during a government official’s tenure? Whether the reason is corruption, incompetence, or some other excuse is not as important as having the right people in the right jobs. A small group of government officials have presided over Malaysia’s rise to become one of the world’s worst wildlife trafficking hubs. Ineffective governance is a far greater threat to rare wildlife than any single wildlife trafficker.

Azrina has completed a report on the link between Orang Asli and wildlife trade in Belum-Temengor. She hopes the government will read it. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

— end —

http://www.wildlife.gov.my/

 http://www.wildlife.gov.my/printed_material/lt/lt2009.pdf

Pet trade, palm oil, and poaching: the challenges of saving the ‘forgotten bear’
By Laurel Neme, special to mongabay.com
March 20, 2011

http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0320-neme_sunbears_wong.html

 

 

Siew Te Wong is one of the few scientists who study sun bears (Ursus malayanus). He spoke with Laurel Neme on her “The WildLife” radio show and podcast about the interesting biological characteristics of this rare Southeast Asian bear, threats to the species and what is being done to help them.

Sun bears are the smallest of the eight bear species. They’re about half the size of a North American black bear and typically sport a tan crescent on their chests. Similar to the “moon bear,” or Asian black bear, the sun bear’s name comes from this marking, which looks like a rising or setting sun.

Sun bears live in Southeast Asia and are probably the least known bear species in the world. They have been so long neglected that Wong refers to them as “the forgotten bear species.” One of the reasons may be that they are difficult to study because they’re nocturnal and spend most of their time up in the trees.

Nobody knows how many sun bears remain in the wild. However, they are under significant threat and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists them under Appendix I. Habitat loss is the primary concern but these diminutive bears are also threatened by the pet trade and poaching for their parts, which are used in traditional Asian medicine.

 

Siew Te Wong with sun bear cub. Photo by: Siew Te Wong.

 

For the last 14 years, Wong has dedicated his life the study and ecological conservation of the sun bear. Wong’s research has taken him to the most threatened wildlife habitat on Earth, where fieldwork is exceedingly difficult.

His pioneering studies of sun bear ecology in the Borneo rainforest revealed the elusive life history of the sun bear in the dense jungle.

While rapid habitat destruction from unsustainable logging practices, the conversion of the sun bear’s habitat into palm oil plantations and uncontrolled poaching activities paint a bleak picture for the future of the sun bear, Wong is helping sun bears both through his research and through the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, which he founded in 2008.

Wong is one of a handful of Malaysian wildlife biologists who has trained in a western country. He did both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at the University of Montana in Missoula, and is finishing his doctorate there. He is former co-chair of the Sun Bear Expert Team, under the IUCN/Species Survival Commission’s Bear Specialist Group, and a current member of three IUCN/SSC Specialist Groups. His dedication was recognized when he was named a fellow of the Flying Elephants Foundation, which awards individuals from a broad range of disciplines in the arts and sciences who have demonstrated singular creativity, passion, integrity and leadership and whose work inspires a reverence for the natural world.

The following is an excerpt from The WildLife with Laurel Neme, a program that probes the mysteries of the animal world through interviews with scientists and other wildlife investigators. The WildLife airs every Monday from 1-2 pm Eastern Standard Time on WOMM-LP, 105.9 FM in Burlington, Vermont. You can livestream it at www.theradiator.org or download the podcast from iTunes, www.laurelneme.com, or http://laurelneme.podbean.com. This interview originally aired May 17, 2010. It was transcribed by Diane Hannigan.

INTERVIEW WITH SIEW TE WONG

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Siew Te Wong: Sun bears are found in Southeast Asia in ten different countries… ranging from the eastern tip of India to the southern tip of China in Yunnan province, across Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, islands of Sumatra, and the island of Borneo. It’s a tropical bear. They’re the smallest of all the bears [family Ursidae], and weigh [about] a hundred pounds.

 

 

 

SUN BEAR RESEARCH

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Juvenile sun bear. Photo by: Siew Te Wong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siew Te Wong: The first challenge is to catch them and put a radio collar on them. To study large mammals like sun bears [the first thing to do is] put a radio collar on them to follow them in the forest. [Then] we try to get close to them and see what they do. We collect their [fecal matter]. [From that] we can know how large their range is and so on.

[Early on] we tried to catch them without any sort of experience. Back in 1999, I had some help from some bear biologists from here, [and] they helped me set up traps out of wood and metal.

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

SUN BEAR DIETS

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

What else do the bears eat? You mentioned earlier that they eat insects.

 

Sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Photo by: Siew Te Wong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siew Te Wong: In 1999-2000, during my first ecological study of sun bears, the forest did not have any fruit in season. The bears were feeding on invertebrates like termites, beetles, beetle larvae, earthworms and any insects they could get.

[Beetle] larvae can grow to as much as three to four inches long. They’re packed with fat and protein. A sun bear can spend an hour or two digging at a decayed [piece of] wood trying to fish out beetle larvae. The moment they fish one out, you can tell from their facial expression—[it’s like] they’re having the best chocolate in their life!

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Adult sun bear at the Basel Zoo in Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siew Te Wong: There’s a lot of competition between the bears in a period when there is no fruit around. From my study, from the bears that I captured, they all have different kinds of scars and wounds from fighting. They have a tough life. They compete with each other because food resources are so low.

But for the ficus, it’s something different. They’re big and can produce big crops. There’s no need to compete for this kind of fruit. The resources are available [to the bears] for a period of two weeks or so. One strangling fig [a kind of ficus] can put out about 2 million fruits at a time, so there’s no need for competition. I have evidence of three different bears feeding on the same tree at the same time. I’ve also witnessed one of my radio collar bears feeding on top of a fig tree, and then on the same tree there was a female orangutan with babies, a binturong (Asian bearcat) with babies, gibbons, and all kinds of birds and squirrels. It’s a very spectacular sight.

Laurel Neme:

 

ROLE OF SUN BEARS IN ECOSYSTEM

Laurel Neme:

 

[Second], by feeding on invertebrates like termites, they break the termite mound and they break apart decaying wood. They are actually creating another type of niche, another type of feeding site for other animals. They don’t finish everything, which leaves another site for other animals to feed on.

They’re considered an ecosystem engineer. [Another example is that] they feed on beehives. The beehives are in tree cavities, so they have to break into the main trunk of the tree in order to get to the beehives and they create cavities. These will later be used by [other animals like flying squirrels] to make nests. [Since they] prey on a lot of termites, they actually maintain healthy forests because termites have the reputation of killing or infesting trees. By reducing the number of insects that are harming plants, they do the plant community a good thing by keeping these pests at a healthy level.

ESTIMATING SUN BEAR POPULATIONS

Laurel Neme:

 

Looking at the big picture, looking at the deforestation rates in Southeast Asia and with the forest disappearing so fast, we know the sun bears are in big trouble. We know their population has declined by more than 30 percent over the last 30 years. With all the poaching, hunting, and pet trade going on in the region, [we know] sun bears are in trouble. Although I do not have the numbers of how many sun bears there are, from my experience working in the forests of Borneo, I know the numbers are lower than orangutans, for sure.

Laurel Neme:

 

This method has been widely used by tiger biologists. [But they can use it because] individual tigers are recognized by cameras. This method is not applicable to sun bears because individuals cannot be identified from a camera picture because they’re just black; they don’t have a special marking.

Laurel Neme:

 

THREATS TO SUN BEARS

Laurel Neme:

 

Sun bear cub. Photo by: Siew Te Wong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siew Te Wong: What you mentioned are all threats but, by far, habitat destruction is the biggest threat for sun bears in Southeast Asia.

Laurel Neme:

 

The second threat, which I mentioned earlier, is the poaching for bear parts. This is still ongoing. They’re poached for their gallbladder, their claws, their canines, their meat, and many [other] purposes, especially for traditional Asian medicine.

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTRE

Laurel Neme:

 

[If you keep one as a pet], you need to obtain a special permit. Southeast Asia is a developing country; wildlife crimes are of little priority compared to crimes against humans, so a lot of the laws are not enforced. People keep bears because they’ll never get caught.

Given the lack of interest among other NGOs, I decided “[if] you guys aren’t going to do [something,] I’m going to do it.” The first group of animals that I wanted to help was the caged animals. [I think] people had to be told, “No, you can’t keep sun bears as pets. It’s against the law!” [So, when] I founded the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, the first thing we wanted to do was rescue the caged bears.

The second thing was to educate the people. We needed to show them how special and unique sun bears are and what important role they play in forest ecosystems. We wanted to do conservation work, rehabilitate those sun bears back into the forest, and continue to do research.

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

The funding for this project was not cheap. We needed about $1 million to set it up. Because we had no money to start with we had to raise this money. We divided the project into three different phases. Phase one needed about $400,000. In November 2008, we held a fundraising dinner where we raised close to $300,000 in one evening. That evening the government declared a matching fund. So, this project is half funded by the Sabah government.

The first phase of the project was finished in March 2010 and involved construction of a bear house that can house 20 bears and also a 1-hectare forest enclosure. Now, we’re officially in stage two. This includes refurbishment and upgrading of the old bear house and also renovation of the offices. We’ll have a visitor gallery, boardwalks, and an observation boardwalk for people coming to visit. [Phase III consists of the construction of the second block of bear houses and forested enclosures for 20 additional bears.]

One of the unique things about our project is our location. Our enclosure is next to a well-known orangutan rehabilitation center [Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC)], where hundreds of tourists come. We want to open our facility as well because we want to educate those people about sun bears and let them see sun bears in their natural environment. We also want to generate revenue from tickets to run our conservation and education program. We are side-by-side. The (orangutan) rehabilitation center is run by the Sabah Wildlife Department and my project with sun bears is also a Sabah Wildlife Department Project. So, we share the same facilities. [Due to their close proximity, the BSBCC utilizes existing SOURC veterinary facilities and personnel, parking, access roads and ticket gates. It also links to existing forest trails and boardwalks at SOURC.]

Laurel Neme:

 

This will lead us to phase three in which we build another bear house and another forest enclosure. As you can see, there are a lot of bears in captivity that need to be rescued and taken care of.

SUN BEAR REHABILITATION AND RELEASE

Laurel Neme:

 

Sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Photo by: Siew Te Wong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siew Te Wong: In Sabah, there are at least 50 bears that need to be rescued. I’m sure there will be more in the future. [In other places in Southeast Asia] there are hundreds to thousands. Different locations have their own problems.

Laurel Neme:

 

Laurel Neme:

 

TALES OF RESCUED BEARS

Laurel Neme:

What makes Chura a good candidate?

Siew Te Wong: Instinct is very crucial. It’s actually pretty sad. For sun bears kept in captivity, they have been kept in small cages or have walked on cement floors for years. They have been fed with human food. [They reach] a point where they lose their instincts. They can’t recognize, for example, termites as their natural food. We have to identify those that still have their instincts. We’ll give them the opportunity to eat termites and present them with decaying wood. They’ll pick it up right away, sniff it, and break it apart, and see what they can get out of the termite nest, or they’ll just leave it alone. The bears that have lost their instincts do not associate that kind of thing as their natural food. These would be bad candidates to release.

 

Bears are just like humans in that they have different personalities. Some are smarter than others, more alert than others, or more cautious than others. We want to pick out the bears that are alert, smart, and have a strong instinct to forage in the wild. These are the components to their success.

HOW TO HELP SUN BEARS

Detail of sun bear cub. Photo by: Siew Te Wong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laurel Neme:

 

Understand that sun bears are the least known bears in the world. There are so many people that have heard about polar bears, grizzly bears and giant pandas, but they’ve never heard about sun bears. By helping to spread the word about sun bears, showing people pictures of them, by putting stories about sun bears on Facebook, they help us to promote awareness. Unfortunately, our conservation work spends money. Generally, the amount of money we raise reflects the amount of work we can do to help a species. [But] fundraising for an animal that is not well known is not easy.

 Ah Chong our sweet male bear has left us on the morning of February 15th, 2011 due to Congestive Heart Failure caused by an abnormal heart that associated with genetic abnormality. Ah Chong was sent to Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre from Telupid, interior Sabah on Sep 6, 2001, as an adult pet bear locked up in small cage for years. Ever since he was captured as pet, he never touches soil, climb a tree, nor have any contact to the forest, until he was moved to the BSBCC’s first bear house and forest enclosures in April 2010. At his new home, Ah Chong dug the soil, sniffed the forest air, and be like a wild bear. Sometime, he preferred to stay at his indoor den than staying outside in the forest enclosure, because physiologically he thought indoor was safer than in the outdoor as majority of his life was actually spent behind bars on concrete floor.

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We will remember Ah Chong although he is no longer with us anymore. Om the sun bear, Ah Chong’s long time playmate, seem more quite than before, probably grief over the loss of his long time friend. The story of Ah Chong tells the story of a typical caged sun bear. Habitat lost, human encroachment, poaching, female bears being killed, bear cub being captured for pet trade, follows by years and years of living behind bars and confines in small cages for many years until they died from old age, diseases, or mentally breakdown.

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An Chong is finally free from suffering as a sun bear who live in captivity all his life because of human’s cruelty, greed, and naivetivity. From of your supports and help, Ah Chong finally got a chance to live like a wild bear at the very end of his life at the BSBCC’s forest enclosure.

May you rest in peace Ah Chong, we will always miss you and remember you!