Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Text and photos by Siew Te Wong

Sun bears live in dense tropical forests across Southeast Asia. In Peninsula Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, the habitat of sun bears is the ever green tropical rainforests. These rainforest are green and lush all year long with multi-layers of canopies that can reach 65 m above the ground. Trees and all sort of plants grow at every corner in the forest. These dense vegetations provide important covers for the wildlife that live in these forests. As a result, wildlife in the tropical rainforest is illusive, rarely seen, and not well known. One of the wildlife found in these forests is the sun bear!

Let me show you how sun bears live in the lowland tropical rainforest of Borneo.

Thanks to Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Depart, LEAP, many funders, supporters, partners, volunteers, BSBCC has started from a big dream to reality.

Please share these photos and feel free to tag yourself and friends!

Thank you, thank you and thank you!  

Photo 1: This is the first photo I wanted to show: a photo of the lowland rainforest of Borneo. The forest has multi-layers canopies, very dense in vegetation. Life is thriving on every corner in this forest. This is the forest enclosure of BSBCC where the sun bears roam freely each day.

Photo 2: Pay attention to the two red circles. They are here for good reason

Photo 3: When I used my zoom lens and zoomed in for a little bit. Do you see what I see? No?

Photo 4: OK, check out the red the red circles again, see it now?

Photo 5: This is what I cropped out from the bottom red circle. Yes, a sun bear!

Photo 6: This is what I cropped out from the top red circle. Another sun bear! This bear is sleeping.

 

Photo 7: I then used my 300mm zoom lens to take another photo. This is what I took

Photo 8: Cropped out from photo 7, nice eh?

Photo 9: A minute later, the bear seemed to see me from a great distant and waked up from her nap.

Photo 10: Cropped out from Photo 9. Really nice!

Photo 11: Zoom in to the bear on the lower circle. She also seems to know that I was photographing her.

Photo 12: Cropped out from Photo 11. She was peeking at me!

Photo 13: Is time for the bear at the lower red circle to take her nap.

Photo 14: Cropped from photo 13. This is how sun bear sleep or nap on tree. Sun bear is a tree loving bear. They love to climb and spend a lot of their time on tree – sleeping, resting, feeding or even playing!
Amazing? Yes, totally!

Text by Gloria Ganang and photo by Tee Thye Lim

The BSBCC is on its way to construct its second bear house that will be able to occupy 16 bears. This new bear house will be surrounded by a 1.21 ha forest enclosure. However, some parts of the forest enclosure are swampy and have no trees for the bears to climb. How do we make use of the space? With the help of ideas from Arkitrek and hard work by the Raleigh International volunteers, our future enclosure is now equipped with a playground for the bears.

Check out these pictures!

Hanging bridge made out of reclaimed wood materials and fire hose

Making use of old tyres to walk on muddy ground

Now everyone can climb!

Perfect spot for sunbathing!

The Raleigh volunteer group who finalized the structures. You guys are awesome!

AMAZING!

The Raleigh International volunteers came from all over the world and gathered at this tropical island of Borneo to work on projects as this one. They worked with heavy tools and materials, tolerated with unpredictable weather, had countless leach bites under their socks and went back to their camp site muddy and tired everyday. However, they have done it for a good cause, which is to provided the bears with additional activities  in the enclosure. These structures can be utilized in many ways to enrich the bears. We are sure that any bear would instantly check out the structures as soon as they find it. Perhaps the roaming orang utan and macaques will do as well..or any of the BSBCC staff!

Million thanks from the BSBCC team to the volunteers! We hope you enjoyed working with us!

We would also like to thank Ian Hall, founder of Arkitrek who made this project possible. Not forgetting Arkitrek intern, Adam Brown for your dedication to guide the volunteers all the way until the end of this project.

Bear hugs to everybody!

Text and photos by Ade Kurniawan

In the past few weeks, the BSBCC has been quite fortunate to receive two different groups of volunteers (Raleigh and Camp Borneo) to help with several construction projects in the centre (designed and supervised by Arkitrek interns, Adam Leigh-Brown and Maryam Gomary). Not an easy task as both groups had to complete their projects while battling Borneo’s sweltering heat and sudden torrential rains. Not to mention the occasional pig-tail macaque and orang-utan harassment!

Adam (in black) and Maryam (in grey), the two Arkitrek interns

Raleigh

Another group arrived on the 22^nd July to continue the work done by the previous Alpha 4 group. To recap, the Raleigh volunteers have been focusing on the construction of several large enrichment structures which will be used in the future forest enclosure. Supervised by Adam and Raleigh project leaders, these volunteers spared no time and went straight to work!

Will be part of the playground for the bears!

Climbing post built by Matthew, David and Sabrina

Yes, they dont often get to pose for cameras

Working in funny smelling mud

Obligatory photo with Wong!

Camp Borneo

In the past several weeks, Camp Borneo (part of Camps International, an organization focusing on volunteerism via expeditions) has sent two groups to help construct a compost bin for the BSBCC. With all the food waste (unused parts of fruits, vegetables, etc) produced in the BSBCC kitchen, it became quite clear that such waste could be put to good use. On top of that, they were also tasked to build a boardwalk that would lead to the future forest enclosure. These two projects were designed and led by Maryam.

Building boardwalks

Laying the framework

Framework is partially up

Another obligatory photo with Wong!

Thanks guys!

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/13/tourism-ministry-to-assist-in-upgrading-of-bornean-sun-bear-conservation-centre-new/

SANDAKAN: The Tourism Ministry will further assist the Sabah government in upgrading facilities at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sepilok, near here.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said priority would be given to the application of a RM1.4 million allocation for renovaton works at the centre under the third rolling plan of the Tenth Malaysia Plan.

“This is based on the importance of the place as a research centre on the Bornean sun bear which is already well known throughout the world,” she said after visiting the centre Tuesday.

“The allocation is required to replace the narrow cages for the animal at the centre with a big open-air enclosure, as well as to upgrade other facilities.”

Dr Ng said the federal government, through her ministry, had already assisted in upgrading the walkway and observation centre which were completed in May. –Bernama

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/13/tourism-ministry-to-assist-in-upgrading-of-bornean-sun-bear-conservation-centre-new/#ixzz1xk8dyGXg

Wong and the Minister of Tourism at the observation platform of BSBCC

Wong, Datuk Sri Ng Yen Yen, and Datuk Sri Tengku Zainal Adlin visiting the facility at BSBCC.Thank you Datuk Sri Ng and Datuk Sri Tengku Adlin for the kind support of the BSBCC.

 

Thank you Datuk Sri Ng and Datuk Sri Tengku Adlin for the kind support of the BSBCC.

Text and photos by Siew Te Wong

Today’s blog is simple.

I do not need to write many words.

Because a photo worth a thousand words…. hehe..

Let the pictures tell the story..

You can see sun bears like these photo ONLY in Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

Caged, pet sun bears have a sad life. From the day they were captured and kept as pet, most of them will NEVER touch the soil, climb the trees, and dig the ground again.

Many of our rescued sun bears also have the same fate. However, with our state of the art forest enclosure, the rescued sun bears at BSBCC have the chance to enjoy the forest.

Bermuda, a 10 year old male sun bear at BSBCC, was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department on October 10, 2002. He live on a concrete floor since he was captured from the wild as a little sun bear cub. For him, the ground is always a smooth layer of concrete floor, until today.

This is how far Bermuda willing to go on the first day to forest enclosure.

Bermuda finally passed his electric fence training lately. We let him out to his forest enclosure for the first time on Valentine Day Feb 14th. We put food, and honey (all time favorite food for bears) on the ramp to encourage/lure him out of his den. What he did that entire day was pocked his head out to reach the food and honey on the ramp without stepping a foot on the ramp.

This is a very pathetic story for all caged sun bears. To all of them, confined and locked up in a small cage is life. They do not know the world beyond the cage. Rain, soil, trees, leaf litters and other natural vegetations and natural elements in the forest all are something that they never come in contact. The only time when they walked on the forest floor was during the first few weeks or months of their life, until their mothers were killed and they were captured by poachers. To them, forest is an alien nation, fills with unknown bugs and unknown noise; the place that is so strange, unsecure and uncertain. All of our adult bears decided to stay inside the den and not wondering into the forest enclosure when we released them out to the forest enclosure for the first time. It sometime took them weeks if not months to wonder out from their den. Only the young once would go out immediately and enjoy the forest without second thoughts.

Bermuda’s reaction when we let him out to the forest enclosure was not exception on Valentine Day. Over the next week or so he still kept himself safe under the protection of his den although the door to forest enclosure was staying open all day long. The food that we left on the ramp and the forest floor has attracted troops of forest bandits – pig-tailed macaques and long-tailed macaques, to enjoy their free meals. Bermuda, sometime I questioned his “male-hood,” just stood in his den and watched his food being stolen away by these intelligent primates.

A smart pig-tailed macaque robbed the food that we placed on the ramp to encourage Bermuda the sun bear out from his den to explore the forest enclosure.

Three macaques ganged up to rob food from the bears. The scene is like hyenas gang up to steal lion's prey in African savanna.

The only thing that Bermuda did was watching the bandit took his food and sticks his tongue out!

This afternoon as I was writing another blog on Fulung and Mary, Marianne our volunteer from UK rushed into the office, “Bermuda is out to his forest enclosure!” Wai Pak and I grasped our cameras and went down to witness this historic moment. This is the moment where he step foot on the forest floor for the first time in more than 10 years and we do not want to miss that! Although he did not wonder off far from the guillotine door of his den, we can tell from his fast pacing behavior that he was nerves and wanted to go back. Wai Pak then scattered some bread in the enclosure to encourage him foraging and exploring a bit more. He just ate the bread that was close to him without much exploration. After tens of minutes, he finally found his way back to his den and did not come out to explore again.

Bermuda is finally out to explore the enclosure. Although not much area covered, it is a good try for sure!

Bermuda finally walking on soiled ground, not cemented floor. It may seem nothing for a bear, but for Bermuda, this is a big deal!

That was a good start for a captive sun bear willing to wonder off his den on the 7th day. Gutuk, another old male bear still decided to confine himself in his den although the door to the forest enclosure has been open for the past 3 months. I am sure Bermuda soon will gain more confidence to explore the forest enclosure. What he need is time and encouragement. In BSBCC, we will give him both!

Used to locked up in small cages as pets, the sun bears rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department and Bornean Sun Bear Conservation can now enjoy the life that once were taken away by poachers and hunters.

These bears are truly the tree hugger bears. I first discovered their arboreal behavior when I saw one of my radio-collared wild sun bear on tree for the first time in 2000. He was feeding on wild figs in a fruiting fig tree about 45 m above the ground. Together with him on that tree was a female orangutan with baby, a female binturong with baby, a family of gibbons, many squirrels, and hundreds of birds. All of them were feeding and roosting on the same tree. It was a SPECTACULAR sighting which I will never forgot!

I love sun bears, the tree hugging bear. How about you?

Special thanks to Marc Anderson who help us captured these spectacular moment of Keningau, one of our rescued bear in Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

Photographed by Marc Anderson http://www.andersonstockphotos.com/blog/

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/PLMzwSzuTw8" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Text and photos by Peter Yuen

Original pasted at http://www.peteryuenphotography.com/Blog/BSBCC/18659219_WkvTNS

The bear keeper calls out some Malay names and some little black figures shuffle over to investigate. Cerah, and eventually Jelita and Lawa, emerge from the bushes to come and say hello.

These 3 young ladies were sent to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre’s fantastic forest habitats where they now spend their days foraging, sleeping and cheerily digging up all the foliage painstakingly planted for them by the team at the BSBCC.

As if on cue, Cerah displays her sun-shaped crest. She is obviously an experienced model and hopes that if she gives the photographer what he wants he’ll leave her alone. Nice try Cerah, but not this time!

The BSBCC now has more than 20 bears, most of whom have been rescued from villages, mini zoos or plantations, many of the bears having been kept as pets in tiny cages for their whole lives.

‘Lawa’ is Malay slang in Sabah for ‘beautiful’, and it’s not hard to see why she was named so. Not as camera shy as her two friends, or maybe just not as sleepy, Lawa braved the relentless afternoon sun to do some exploring and a bit of posing for the camera as well.

The rainforest consists of two main parts: the rain and the forest. Neither of these are great news for a photographer. Narrowly avoiding the afternoon downpour, low light and heavy shadows from the canopy still threatened to waste Lawa’s good looks.

Luckily Lawa didn’t mind venturing into the sunnier parts of her habitat for a few shots, In fact, all of the bears seemed quite curious and had a fleeting interest in the camera before realising it wasn’t food.

smiling sun bear!

Under the watchful eyes of Siew Te Wong and the BSBCC team, the bears are gradually being introduced to their new forest enclosures, 4 in all, as they are made suitable for living in.

Building a forest enclosure is not as simple as putting up a fence; sun bears love to dig under and sun bears love to climb over. The fence can’t be too close to the tall trees in the habitat or the more adventurous chaps might be able to venture out into the wild.

Aside from the dangers they would face if they escaped, including other bears and (of course) mankind, these juveniles are not yet ready to fend for themselves in the forest.

None of these lazy young girls wanted to climb a tree during my visit, although in that heat I wouldn’t have either. They did however forage a lot. Despite being smaller than your average sun bear, the Bornean sub-species is still quite a large mammal to subsist on windfall and insects. To get enough termites for a full stomach takes time.

Once again the BSBCC team lend a helping hand, hiding fruit and vegetables around the enclosures to encourage their natural foraging behavior. Feeding, housing and providing all the care that these feisty animals need take a lot of effort, as well as a lot of funding.

So let’s help the Bornean sun bears. The more we can raise for these bears, the more can be rescued, the happier these rescues will be in their great new homes and the better the chance they can one day be released back to the wild, where they belong.

To buy prints of these bears, with all proceeds going to the BSBCC, visit the BSBCC visit photo gallery.

For lots more information on sun bears or to donate to help Lawa and her friends, visit the BSBCC website.

After 4 years of idea developing, planning, and more than 3 years of hard working from many people, I am proud to present you the sun bears that we rescued at Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre!

 Although not all of our bears are in the forest enclosures, we are working hard to train them so that they can adapt their new life in the forest enclosures soon. These sun bears feed a lot on natural food items such as termites, and ants, in the forest enclosures. Both sightings and scat analysis conformed this observation.

Today I have a great day seeing Cerah, Jelita, and Lawa the sun bears destroying decayed wood to feed on termites, climbing on tree to feed on ants, and digging on soil but do not know what they were after. What I know that they were having a lot of fun, chasing and playing with each other in the dense forest floor!

Thanks to you all and your kind support;

Thanks to all the Bear Action Team volunteers who help us built this and built that;

Thanks to all the husbandry volunteers who help us clean cages, prepare bear food, make enrichments, and take good care of our bears;

Thanks to all the BSBCC staff, especially Wai Pak, and all the LEAP team, Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre team, for making the life of our bears better;

Thanks to Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department, and LEAP to be the partners of this project;

WE DID IT BECAUSE OF YOU!

Finally, thanks to Peter Yuen for helping us took these photos of our bears in the forest enclosure.

Now everyone can see sun bears in the forest!

You can read more Peter’s Yuen photography work and support BSBCC by buying these photos online:

Blog: http://www.peteryuenphotography.com/Blog/BSBCC

Gallery: http://www.peteryuenphotography.com/Animals/The-Sun-Bears-of-Borneo

~ Siew Te Wong, Founder and CEO, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

smiling sun bear!