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BSBCC ‘Bear Necessities’ Fundraiser Event

Posted by Xander on November 20th, 2008 in Events, Wildlife

Friday, November 14th 2008 marks a historical and monumental day in which the first major collaboration between conservationists, several corporate companies and the government took place. The BSBCC (Borneo Sun Bears Conservation Center) Fundraiser Event was held at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa at 6.30 pm and it was attended by the Chief Minister of Sabah, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun and Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim.

It was a night equivalent of the Grammys night where all the distinguished guests and the socialites from all over Malaysia graced the event with their presence. The stage was set in an extravagant and picturesque manner identical to the forests of Borneo and the ambiance imbued throughout the grand ballroom was unlike any other.

An event as opulent as this would not be complete without the participation of celebrities, musicians and artistes. The hosts for the evening was television personality Daphne Iking, and actor/playwright/comedian Jit Murad. Also hosting was talented actresses Ida Nerina, Joanna Bessey, and Lina Teoh (Miss Malaysia World 1998 Winner, Miss World 1998 2nd Runner Up). Seeing these glamorous and talented people gracing the stage that night was indescribable and  they made the whole event inordinate and ostentatious as it already were.

Daphne Iking and Jit Murad

Ida Narina

Lina Teo

Joanna Bessey

The show would not be complete without the talented and multifarious assortment of musicians that came on stage on that night. They started the evening with a performance by Amir Yussof, Rafique Rashid and Badar. They sang a song titled “Calling On You” which was specially written by Amir, a song beautifully composed for the Sun Bears. Rafique and Badar was also joined later by Albert Sirimal to perform a wonderful song called “House in Pooh’s Corner”.

Amie Yussof

Rafique Rashid, Amir Yussof, Albert Sirimal and Badar

Albert Sirimal

Jit Murad

The night didn’t end with there, more performances ensued the whole night including musicians like Roger Wang which did an acoustic piece of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon. One song which took the crowd into a very jovial mood was a ”re-write” version of the famous tune ‘Bear Necessities’ which was performed by Rafique Rashid and Roger Wang. All of the musicians that night was simply ingenious, exquisite and exceptional to say the least.

Roger Wang

Rafique Rashid and Roger Wang

Also included as the highlights of the night, special auctions was held for the guests. Items included art pieces from exceptional and prominent local artists such as Mariana Musa, Wong Siew Lee, Wolf Sungmanitu Peters, Cede Prudente, Tony Gonzales, and Sarah Lim. Most art pieces such as the sculpture named ‘Obama’ from Wolf Sungmanitu Peters started the bids at MYR 1500 onwards. The highest bid made that night was Sarah Lim’s painting titled “Wake Up Call” which was around at MYR 40,000+.

All the proceeds that night including the auctions would go to the construction and maintenance of the BSBCC which will be situated at Sepilok. An infrastructure dedicated to keeping and studying the endangered Sun Bears, in which Borneo is its last hope for survival due to the fact that all over the region of South East Asia, their numbers are in fast decline.

Wong Siew Te, which is also known by some as the ‘Sun Bear Man’ took the stage and told tales of Cerah, a Sun Bear which is one of the bears under his care. Cerah means ‘bright’ in the Malaysian language. Executive Director of LEAP, Cynthia Ong also came on stage to show a planned infrastructure for the sun bears which is located near the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center.

Wong Siew Te

Cynthia Ong

The MoU on BSBCC was signed by Laurentius Ambu of the Sabah Wildlife Department, Datuk Sam Mannan of Sabah Forestry Department and LEAP by Cynthia Ong and was witnessed by YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman. In his speech, he also announced a government match of one to one on total donations.

YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman

It is a milestone event in conservation history for it is the first time such a major collaboration ever took place in Malaysia. An estimate of MYR 1.3 million was raised that night towards this project and it shows that cooperation between the conservationists, large corporate companies and the government is not only possible but also can be very overwhelmingly successful.

A night of elegance, cheers and jovial ambiance within a spectacular event all for a very important cause - the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. With such a monumental event, it was also gracefully ended as all the artistes and musicians took center stage and sang, ‘Conviction of the Heart’.

Posted by Xander on November 20th, 2008 in Events, Wildlife

Friday, November 14th 2008 marks a historical and monumental day in which the first major collaboration between conservationists, several corporate companies and the government took place. The BSBCC (Borneo Sun Bears Conservation Center) Fundraiser Event was held at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa at 6.30 pm and it was attended by the Chief Minister of Sabah, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Masidi Manjun and Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim.

Special thanks to Wong Siew Te, Cynthia Ong and Amir Yussof for having the LifeInBorneo.com crew be part of this prestigious event.

Photos by Eshark and Zie

Related posts

• Bear Necessities Fundraising Event - Interview with Wong Siew Te & Cynthia Ong (1)
• ‘Bear Necessities’ Fundraising Event - A Success! (2)
• Bear Necessities - A fundraising event for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (5)
• Mac Borneo (0)
• Dewa 19 in Kota Kinabalu 2007 (0)

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November 18, 2008

More than 7,000 live monitor lizards, almost 900 owls—plucked and plastic wrapped for easy cooking—and other wild animals were seized in two raids in a single week by Malaysian officials earlier this month. Experts on illegal wildlife trade expressed astonishment at the huge number of rare owls seized.

Some of the 900 owls seized in a November 4, 2008, raid in Malaysia are shown as they were found, plucked and plastic wrapped—signs they were intended as food.

The owl raid was followed three days later by a seizure that yielded 7,000 live monitor lizards. The sizes of both hauls indicate that illegal-wildlife traders in Southeast Asia are becoming more organized, experts say.

Photograph by Chris Shepherd/TRAFFIC
“It’s the first time we’ve ever seen a big shipment like this of owls,” said Chris Shepherd, a senior program officer for the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC.

The scale of both hauls indicates that Asian wildlife smuggling is growing more sophisticated, Shepherd said. “Shipments this size show that the trade is becoming more and more organized by syndicates, rather than just opportunistic individuals trying to make a buck off a few animals,” said Shepherd, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Oven-Ready Owls

The first of the two raids—carried out by the country’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks—took place on November 4 in the town of Muar on the southern tip of Malaysia.

In a freezer and storage room, agents found 796 barn owls, 95 spotted wood-owls, 14 buffy fish-owls, 8 barred eagle-owls, and 4 brown wood-owls.

The owls, smaller than chickens, had been frozen. Their feathers had been removed, but their heads and feet were intact—a sign that the owls were to be sold as food.

“I’ve heard of owls being used for superstition and in traditional medicine, but I’ve never heard of anybody eating them,” said Colin Poole, director of the Asia program for the Wildlife Conservation Society. “There must be some market specifically for owls.”

The haul also included live monitor lizards and live juvenile wild pigs. Only parts were found from other animals: wild pig, Malayan porcupine, reticulated python, Malayan pangolin, greater mouse deer, and sun bear (sun bear photo and facts).

A local man was arrested at the raid. But after pleading “not guilty” and posting bail of 19,000 ringgits (U.S. $5,300), he was released three days later.

Since Muar is a port town, experts believe the shipment was probably headed China, where the demand for game meat and for wildlife used in traditional medicine is driving the Asian trade.

All of the species seized in Muar are protected to some degree under Malaysian law. Sun bears, in particular, are banned from international trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Some Chinese covet the bear’s bile as medicinal, and its paws are considered delicacies.

Poaching fueled by such demand “could easily wipe out the species,” said Siew Te Wong, a University of Montana biology Ph.D. student who has been studying the small bears in the Malaysian part of Borneo island for ten years.

Three days after the Muar raid, agents acting on a tip obtained during the seizure raided a storage facility in the town of Segamat, where they found more than 7,000 live clouded monitor lizards.

The lizards were also likely destined for dining tables in China, according to the international conservation organization WWF.

CITES prohibits international trade of the roughly one-and-a-half-yard-long (one-and-a-half-meter-long) reptiles, which range throughout Southeast Asia.

Crackdown

Large-scale commercial traders buy wildlife “dirt cheap” from local people working in plantations or in the forests, according to Shepherd, of TRAFFIC.

“They have massive networks spread all over the countries in Southeast Asia,” he said.

“You can go to any village and everyone knows that if you catch, for example, a pangolin [scaly anteater], you can sell it.”

In 2005 countries in the region formed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network, or ASEAN-WEN, to combat illegal wildlife trade.

The crackdown sparked by the new collaboration seems to be bearing fruit.

In July officials in Indonesia seized a China-bound shipment of 14 tons of scaly anteaters. And during a raid in Vietnam, officials found 24 tons of the anteaters, which had been shipped from Indonesia.

“Historically, governments [in the region] have reacted with skepticism about the scope of the problem,” said Michael Zwirn, director of U.S. operations for the Wildlife Alliance, based in Washington, D.C.

“These kinds of large shipments indicate the severity of the issue,” he said.

“We hope that governments will look at this and realize that their natural heritage is being siphoned off.”

But ASEAN-WEN is not yet functioning properly, due to a lack of resources, experts warn. TRAFFIC’s Shepherd says the chances of any given trader getting caught are still “fairly slim.”

“If they do get caught, the penalties are very small and definitely not a deterrent,” he said.

The local man arrested in the Muar raid, for example, had been arrested on the same kinds of charges a few years earlier.

Poole, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, said: “It’s important to do these busts. But following through and making sure that these people are prosecuted to the extent of the appropriate laws, I think, is critically important.”   

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Tuesday November 18, 2008

Centre to help preserve Sabah’s sun bears

By RUBEN SARIO

KOTA KINABALU: Having established itself as home for wildlife such as the orang utan, Sumatran rhino, Borneo pygmy elephant and proboscis monkey, Sabah intends to give more attention to its population of sun bears.

Noting that Sabah’s sun bears were one of the world’s eight bear species, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said the state wanted to protect the mammal, which was considered a unique species.

 Needing care: File photo of sun bear researcher Wong Siew Te handling a sun bear in the cage at Sepilok near Sandakan.

“The task for us is to raise awareness on this little-known animal,” he said at a fund-raising event here recently for the establishment of a RM1.2mil sun-bear rehabilitation and conservation centre in Sepilok, Sandakan.

He said that research had shown that Borneo, particularly Sabah, was the last habitat for sun bears.

He said that conservation efforts must include getting them back into the wild.

The centre will be the first of its kind in Asia.

It is being set up jointly by the state’s wildlife and forestry departments and non-governmental organisation Land Empowerment Animals People, which organised the fund-raising event featuring Malaysian artistes.

Musa said the centre would provide opportunities for research on the animals apart from serving as a focal point for sun bear studies in Asia.

He said the centre could be developed as an educational and awareness facility as it was located next to the Sepilok orang utan rehabilitation centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre.

He said the effort was another example of the close cooperation between state agencies and NGOs.

Musa said that similar efforts in the past had resulted in studies on Sabah’s flora and fauna and how to protect them

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Subject: We did it
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:55:12 +0800

…. and nobody died.

I just surfaced from the dead.  This is the first email I am writing after the last couple of days or so in another realm. 

Bear Necessities raised RM1,300,000 or almost $400,000 — more than our target of RM1,200,000.  Apart from tables sales and auctions, we also got a government match of one to one for the night AND A GOVERNMENT MATCH OF ONE TO ONE FOR EVERYTHING WE RAISE FROM NOW ON!

The evening was fantastic.  We turned the foyer of the ballroom into a “cage” where all guests were “held” for about an hour — while they were served cocktails and mingled.  It was black tie/formal.  When the Chief Minister arrived, we “released” everyone into the ballroom, which had been transformed into a rainforest at night.  The program was packed with personal stories of the bears at Sepilok, interspersed with live music (some specially written for the night), auctions of sun bear inspired artwork, Wong’s presentation on the plight of sun bears, my presentation on the $ need, the MoU signing, etc.  We also zero-carboned the event by calculating our carbon emissions and offsetting it via a donation to PWET.  After the MoU signing, the CM made his speech and announced the one to one government match to BSBCC.

So …. we made history.  The first time ever Sabahan/Malaysian corporations-government-NGO came together to collaborate.  All our project partners helped out with transforming the ballroom - 11 from MESCOT led by Martin, 4 from PWET led by Raini, 6 from PACOS, 2 from Hutan including Marc.  We had teams from Forestry Dept and Wildlife Dept helping us with protocol, reception, ushering, MoU signing, etc.  We invited them all to come, including almost all NGOs in the conservation movement and acknowledged them all on stage.  The audience embodied the concept of paradox to a P — the biggest timber guys, palm oil guys, the conservation movement, government, communities.  It was quite something.

Anyway, we were apparently on national TV and LEAP was praised for our role in this.  I will send some pictures when I have some.  Wong is on cloud nine.  He is mostly speechless and overwhelmed with emotion. 

With the money we raised (half of the total need), we can begin constructing Phase I of BSBCC.

Phew.

Cxo

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 http://lifeinborneo.com/2008/11/13/bear-necessities-fundraising-event-interview-with-wong-siew-te-cynthia-ong/

Posted by Xander on November 13th, 2008 in Wildlife

Upon reaching LEAP office, I was warmly greeted by Wong Siew Te who heads the conservation efforts with the Sun Bears. As I walked in, the place was full of energy where there were a handful of people working hard to make this event a momentous occasion. I was also greeted by Cynthia Ong, which is the Executive Director and founder of LEAP.

Lifeinborneo.com was given this enormous opportunity to meet up with these individuals whom are   energetic, passionate, enthusiastic and fervent people that have put their whole hearts into the efforts with the Sun Bears also known as Helarctos malayanus.

The Borneon Sun Bear Conservation Centre is a project aimed for the research, habitat conservation, education, and rehabilitation of the sun bears; one of the eight bear species in the world that has been somewhat overlooked by other wildlife biologists and conservationists. According to Wong, the number of sun bears in the wild especially Borneo is still unknown due to the fact that there is still insufficient data collected concerning these species.

“It is estimated to be around 8-12 sun bears per 100 square kilometers in Borneo and this number will only decrease especially with the alarming rate of poaching of these bears. Even the trappings are still rampant among those that lives near the plantations and deep edges of the the jungles just to prevent them from entering their territory. These are only a few of the reasons why this project is so important for them (the Sun Bears) and now is the time to do it.”, as Wong elaborated.

I asked Wong whether there are any sun bears still being exploited today and this is what he pointed out to me, ” Some irresponsible individuals keep certain protected species and use them as a symbol of social status in their homes and these include the Sun Bears. Sadly this ‘trend’ is still unchecked especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. The laws that are supposedly protecting these creatures are in a way still not good enough to ensure that they are taken care of properly.  They are kept in ‘private’ zoos in their back yard and are treated poorly by keeping them in small cages. Some people have different views of ‘well taken care of’ in this matter and their lack of knowledge and expertise with these animals are a great concern to us.”

It is well known that corporations in the United States and other foreign countries to give out large contributions to conservation efforts which they usually practice in their respective countries but this would be the first time this sort of collaboration is transpiring in Malaysia.

I asked Cynthia Ong if anyone ever done such an endeavor before, due to the fact that it is quite unheard of in Malaysia. She says, “It’s the first time in Malaysian history that the forestry, logging, palm oil plantations and several large corporations contributing to this conservation effort. These corporations will be collaborating with various NGO’s, Sabah Wildlife Department and working together on this ‘one-of-a-kind’ conservation effort. It is a major breakthrough for the conservationists to have this kind of reception which is very overwhelming.”

Wong explained further, “With the corporate companies utilizing the environment all these years for their interests, they too have the responsibility to do their part in helping with the conservation efforts.”

This event will not only pave the way for other parties which have not taken part in this project but also as a reminder that everyone can have a role in this endeavor which has long since been overlooked.

The contributions towards this occasion is the quintessential reason that this endeavor is taking place here in Sabah and the funds raised would be used to construct and maintain the BSBCC for the next 2 years. It is  a center where they could do more in depth cooperation with the people from the plantations, educating them about the dangers of poaching and/or trapping these endangered species.

The BSBCC, which is planned to be constructed at Sepilok would be a place to keep the confiscated bears from the wilds. Wong frequently comes to its temporary facility which is near Sepilok where there are 11 sun bears there at the moment with an enriched environment and natural forest enclosures.

“With the BSBCC, we could educate the people about the Sun Bears and create awareness among them and why it is crucial that they too do their part in helping these animals. With such an infrastructure it will also bring hope for these bears which so many people haven’t even heard of. Did you know that the biggest sun bear I’ve encountered only weighed only 56 kilograms? We have everything in our own backyard to help these bears; perfect climate and environment to further study and learn more about them”, as elaborated by Wong on the importance of such a facility here in Borneo.

With Wong Siew Te and Cynthia Ong at the helm of this monumental effort, along with other various agencies and government departments; it is not enough to help these endangered animals to secure their safe future. Without the help and support of the public it simply cannot be done, therefore; why not be part of this event and do your part in this event which promises to be an event unlike any other ever held in Malaysia. The public support is needed for this event to happen.

Quote from Wong Siew Te, ” We have to work together to make things happen and as long as we don’t lose hope, there are so much that we can achieve. We should not delay any longer and now is the right time we take up this endeavor further and push it forward and realize that it can be done, here in Malaysia. ”

Seats are still available for the Bear Necessities event. The individual seats are priced at MYR 500, MYR 1000, MYR 2000, MYR3000 and MYR 5000.

Many thanks to Cynthia Ong, Executive Director and found of LEAP and Wong Siew Te for giving us the opportunity to learn more of their work and the importance of such an undertaking.

*Photos by Roy Ajin.

Related posts

• ‘Bear Necessities’ Fundraising Event - A Success! (1)
• Bear Necessities - A fundraising event for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (4)

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Lina (right) and Sam auctioning the painting title ‘natural habitat and sun bears’ by Wong Siew Lee which fetched RM36,000

16th November, 2008 KOTA KINABALU: Efforts to raise fund for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) received overwhelming support from generous donors and the state government on Friday night.

Some RM1.3 million was raised through the auction of four paintings and a sculpture, sales of dinner tickets and a matching grant from the state government during the Bear Necessities Fund Raising Event at a resort here.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman who graced the function announced that the state government would give a matching grant based on the amount of money raised during the event.

According to the Land Empowerment of Animal & People (LEAP) executive director Cynthia Ong, the BSBCC will cost about RM2.1 million.

It will be built next to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan and it will be carried out in three phases with phase one costing RM1.1 million, phase two RM600,000 and RM900,000 is needed for phase three.

Besides that, she said they have also received RM130,000 from international donors.

The fund raising event also saw a memorandum of understanding signed by Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Wildlife Department and LEAP.

Sun bear researcher Wong Siew Te said the kind financial support will help change the life of the sun bear and turn the centre into a tourism hotspot.

According to him, an enclosure will be built for the phase one project which can house 20 sun bears including 11 that were confiscated by the Sabah Wildlife Department.

Even though the sun bears are kept in captivity, they can gain access to the natural forest to enjoy life in the wild once the centre is completed, he said.

The phase two project will have a gallery for visitors to view the sun bears in their natural behaviour. Phase three will have an observatory platform and an exhibition centre, he said.

“The sun bear is a protected species and the plan to build the conservation centre is aimed at helping the bear and providing them a better place to live. The centre will be incorporated with conservation, education and research features,” he said.

The fund raising event was also supported by various artistes such as Ida Nerina, Lina Teoh and Joanna Bessey who assisted the Sabah Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu, Sabah Forestry Department director Datuk Sam Mannan and Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun to conduct the auction of the sun bear paintings and sculpture.

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I do not know what to say.

There are two phrases that I wanted to scream to the world: Thank you! And Yes! We did it!

Yes, we did it!

After months of preparation, our fundraising event, Bear Necessities that was held last night here at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, finally ended with the finale song, Kenny Loggins’s Conviction of the Heart, led by Amir Yussof.

Yes! We did it! We have raised about RM1.3 million (USD380,000) during last night event from selling of tables, auctions of art works, individuals donations, plus a one to one matching fund from Sabah State Government!

 In addition of the fund raising, we also signed in the official MOU for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center by the Director of Forestry Department Datuk Sam Mannan (front left), Director of LEAP Ms. Cynthia Ong (front center), and Director of Sabah Wildlife Department Mr. Laurentius Ambu (front right), witnessed by the Sabah  Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun (standing left) and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman.   

Thank you! Thank you! And Thank you!

Thank you all the Bear Crews, especially mama bear- Cynthia Ong, for all the hard works to make this event a success and unforgettable one!

Thank you all the donors, corporate leaders, distinguishe guests, for your generous supports and contribution to help the bears and put them out of misery.

Thank you all the distinguishe guests- Yang Amat Berhormat the Chief Minister of Sabah, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Directors of Sabah Wildlife Department and Forestry Department, Mayor of Kota Kinabalu, and many others for your kind support and believing of what we are doing.

Thank you the co-sponsor of the event- Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa Kota Kinabalu for your kind sponsorship.

Thank you all the performers –Amir Yussof, Daphne Iking, Jit Murad, Roger Wang, Ida Narina, Lina Teoh, Rafique Rashid, Badar, Albert Sirimal, Joanna Bessey, the tribal drummers of Sabah, for all the excellent performances and of course being a wonderful auctioneers!

Thank you all the artists who donated their impressive artworks for this event- Wong Siew Lee (my sister), Mariana Musa, Sarah Lim, Toney Gondolos, Wolf Peters, and Cede Prudente.

Thank you all the ground crews from various conservation projects and government agencies that come a long ways to help us- PACOS, MESCOT, HUTAN, Danau Girang, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department, the technician teams, the press media, and many others for your really hard works!

Thank you! Thank you! And thank you from the bottom of my heart and from the cage bears. You have changed our life!

Years ago, I looked into the very sad eyes of the cage bears in Sepilok and I told them: “I am going to do my best to help you.. I promise with my life that I am going to help you all out of the cages and bring you all a better life!”

Today, I can look at them back into their still very sad eyes, but hopeful eyes, “Please hang on boys and girls, help is on its way!”

“Yes, we did it!” With the RM1.3 million ringgit raised last night, we can start our Phase I of the construction soon. At the same time, we need another million riggit to finish the Phase II (more bear house and additional enclosure) and Phase III for the visitors’ facilities.

We still need your help to help the bears!

Thank you! Thank you! And thank you!

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Sabah Govt Pledges Commitment To Protect Rare Sun Bear          KOTA KINABALU, Nov 14 (Bernama) — The Sabah government Friday night pledged its firm commitment for the protection and conservation of its precious wildlife heritage, particularly the rare sun bear. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the phasing out of logging activities at the Ulu Segama and Malua forest reserves at the end of last year and the declaration of the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain as a wildlife sanctuary were efforts in this direction. He said many people in the state were not aware that Sabah was home to one of the eight bear species found worldwide and the last stronghold of the sun bear. “Our ultimate goal is to put the (sun bear) species back into the wild. Perhaps it is time to give it the same attention we give to Sabah’s other wildlife such as the orang utan, the Borneo pygmy elephant, the proboscis monkey and the Sumatran rhinoceros. “There is a big task ahead to raise awareness on this little-known mammal and one way of doing this is to promote the sun bear as a flagship species,” he said in his speech at the “Bear Necessities” fund-raising event for the Bornean Sun Bear, here. Musa said there was great potential for raising the profile of this neglected animal and, at the same time, using it as an ambassador for further protection of rainforest habitats. In this respect, he said, the setting up of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Sandakan was timely as it would provide the opportunity for furthering this scientific research as well as serve as a focal point for sun bear studies in the region. Musa said the new centre also had the potential to be developed as an educational and awareness centre given its location next to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre. Apart from that, the conservation centre could lend support to the state’s tourism efforts and would become another eco-tourism destination for both local and international visitors, he said. – BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/news_lite.php?id=371886

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Here is another report of the wildlife poaching case I posted yesterday.

We are at war with poachers!

And yes, these are an arm and body parts of a sun bear!

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