Bornean Sun Bear Conservation

Category: BSBCC, LEAP | Date: May 22 2009 | By: Siew Te Wong

by - Bob (BATs - Bear Action Teams)

Original posted at: http://leapspiral.blogspot.com/search/label/BORNEAN%20SUN%20BEAR%20CONSERVATION%20CENTRE

On 30th April, 2009 Ian Hall and I took a trip down to Sepilok with the express purpose of getting bitten by leeches, cover ourselves in scratches, insect bites, exhaust ourselves and get very sweaty. These objectives were reached with ease and we are both feeling pretty pleased with ourselves (an a little bit itchy!)

During our trip into the forest Ian had his binoculars permanently fixed to his eyes as he tracked the movements of every bird in the areas and I enjoyed more of those quiet sit down and smoke moments than was probably good for me.

The trip was a success from another angle! I secured a new girlfriend! Suria (2 year old bear) and I had our ‘first date’ and all the signs are positive for our future relationship.

Suria

All the enjoyment noted above was in the pursuit of some real goals. We managed to ‘recce’ an area of jungle with a view to creating a jungle camp for volunteers, plan the work sites and allocations of labour forces, survey the ‘enclosure’, inspect the drainage system for the existing bear house and establish the locations of the material suppliers in Sandakan.

Suria getting used to her new ‘room’

So now it’s back to KK for the paper work and plan for the next one.

It’s fun working for LEAP!

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Category: BSBCC, LEAP | Date: May 21 2009 | By: Siew Te Wong

For many of you who consider me as the “daddy” of sun bears, then “mommy” of BSBCC must belong to Cynthia Ong, the director of LEAP. LEAP is a NGO founded by Cynthia Ong, base in Sabah with a US office in Oakland, California, USA.

“LEAP – Land Empowerment Animals People – trailblazes to discover new ways which provoke sustainable ecological co-existence, in engagement with communities, government, civil society and industry, by building partnerships and collaborations that create mutually transformative processes which seek to balance the needs of all.  We work within the divides and gaps to bridge between fragmented and isolated groups, with the intention to build connections and common ground where new conversations can lead to new understanding and new solutions that serve the greater global community of land, animals and people.”

I met Cynthia in 2006 when I was desperately (“dying” to be more appropriate) searching for funding to conduct my field work on sun bear and bearded pigs in Danum Valley, Sabah. That meeting changed my life thereafter because through  Cynthia and LEAP, I received supports from Alexander Abraham Foundation (AAF) and get to know Nancy Abraham, President of AAF. It was the continuous encouragements and supports in many ways (long story to tell), I founded BSBCC last year, with Cynthia being the co-directors, and LEAP, Sabah Wildlife Department, and Sabah Forestry Department, being the partners to manage and setting up BSBCC on the ground.

I am very grateful to LEAP and the LEAP team under the leadership of Cynthia for their help all these years, to bring us from nothing to something. It will be more to come I am sure. Our goals are of course to understand (which I spent the last 10 years trying to do so), to care, to help, and finally to save the little forgotten bear- the sun bears. Just like what Jane Goodall said:

“Only if we understand, can we care.
Only if we care, will we help.
Only if we help, shall they be saved.”

— Jane Goodall (1990)

So please join me to visit the new LEAP website. You can learn so much about this new but productive NGO that aim to bring a better tomorrow for LEAP – Land, Empowerment, Animals, People.

http://www.leapspiral.org/main.html

Currently LEAP is running 17 projects in Sabah. You can learn about this project at the website too.

How can you help? The best way is to support us and LEAP. Donations can be easily make via online donation. Together, we can make a difference!

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