Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

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Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Sun Bear                                                                            1

                         May-June 2021 Vol.8, No.3

                                             Cover page of this issue features our 55th rescued bear, Kina

In this issue:
Bear Story           				      2
Lesson About The Sun Bear		    4
BSBCC Corner         				      5
                                         PAGE 2: The Moon’s Cousin, Kina
Environmental Education		      6
BSBCC in the News			           7
Volunteers & Interns 			       8
Adoption Programme 			         9
Bear Shop        				          11
Donors and Contributors 		     13

                                         PAGE 5: Betung’s Progress!

The Sun Bear Voice              Volume 8, Number 3                                        May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
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                                                                                                                                               Bear Story
Bear Story
The Moon’s Cousin, Kina

Kina is a five-year-old adult female bear. She always
has a bright face with curious eyes, big ears similar
to the moon bear’s ears. And, this is how she got the
title, “the Moon’s cousin”. Besides, Kina also has a
beautiful, unique chest mark.

Kina was originally named Kalong by her previous
owner, but we renamed her “Kina” after where she
came from, Kinarut, Sabah. Kina was kept as a pet
for more than a year. Her owner said that she saw
a mother bear with a bear cub crossing a road. The
mother bear suddenly got frightened, ran away and
                                                               Image: “It’s muddy here but nevermind, getting dirty all day is what I want”.
left Kina behind. She was tiny and had not even
opened her eyes. We never knew the truth about what
happened to Kina. Do you believe a mother bear would
leave her cub behind? Mother bears protect their bear
cubs instinctively. The cub will generally follow their
mother for two to three years to learn forest survival
skills in the wild. Can you imagine, without their
mother beside them, how will the cub survive in the
wild?

Fortunately, Kina was surrendered to the Sabah Wildlife
Department on the 22nd February 2017 and sent to
BSBCC on the 1st March 2017.

In the quarantine, Kina made friends with Sika, Soo,
BJ and Diana. They get along very well as Kina is a            Image: Gracefully walking on a rotten fallen tree.

The Sun Bear Voice                                   Volume 8, Number 3                                                     May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
friendly bear. She always initiates play fight with the
                                                                                                                                                                     3
others. Sun bears are a solitary animal in the wild.

                                                                                                                                                                    Bear Story
However, during the integration process, the sun bears
can learn from each other and encourage healthy
behaviour. They spend their days together and enjoy
each other’s company.
On the 6th February 2020, Kina moved from
quarantine to the bear house with her groupmates
(Sika, Soo and BJ). Kina is an active bear full of
enthusiasm. She shows dominance in her group. She is
curious about her surroundings. Kina is not picky and
enjoys all the food. There is no food leftover at all. She
will cheekily grab all the food for herself too. It seems
that food is more important than anything else for her!                                     Image: A wary Kina sensing the photographer nearby.

Kina is an excellent explorer. She likes to roam freely
in the forest. She always has some favourite spots
to stay in. In the forest, Kina spends some time with
Sika and BJ. However, Kina tends to be independent.
She loves to explore the forest alone, digging and
foraging all day long. She enjoys sleeping in the trees
when she is full. She also spends time searching for
small invertebrates as snacks, including ants, termites,
beetle larvae and many more. Sometimes she will
spend the night outside. This all shows that she is
completely relaxed about being outside.
Kina went through these unhappy experiences. Without
the company of her mother, she has lost her world                                           Image: “I can do this all day long!”

once. After coming to BSBCC, her life took on a whole
                                                                                            Text and photos by Seng Yen Wah.
new look. Kina is doing her best every day. We will also
continue to work hard to create a brighter future for
her and her bear friends.

Image: Peek-a-boo! - A forest is a place for a bear. It serves as protection and hiding places for lots of wildlife, including sun bear.

The Sun Bear Voice                                                         Volume 8, Number 3                                                     May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
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Lesson About Sun Bear

                                                                                                                               Lesson About Sun Bear
Farmer in the Forest                                             Termite!!

Do you know that sun bears plays a vital role in the             Termites is one of the abundant insects that can be
forest? As we knew, lots of different tree species have          found in the forest. Living underground, in mounds,
different ways to propagate their seeds in the forest.           and even in infesting trees. Whether dead or living
Do you want to know how a sun bear can be related to             trees, they are associated strongly to the sun bears.
the trees? Check the video to learn how:                         Are you interested to know why? Please check out the
                                                                 video in the link:

                                          Farmer in the Forest   Termite!!
                           What would Ah Bui do in the forest?   What can a sun bear do to care the trees?

Betung Progress:
With Dr. Wong Siew Te

Remember Betung, the bear cub who arrived in the
centre with a very disturbing condition? Time flies fast
and she already progressed well in our Centre. Let’s
have a look on what she was up to in these 2 videos:

                                            Betung Progress 1    Betung Progress 2
                                         Betung on the action!   Another action from Betung!

The Sun Bear Voice                                    Volume 8, Number 3                                     May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
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BSBCC CORNER

                                                                                                                              BSBCC Corner
Saving Sun Bear Book Club:
March and April 2021

Catch up with the monthly Saving Sun Bear Book Club Virtual meeting for the March and April sessions by
scanning or tapping the QR codes.

                                                                                          Saving Sun Bears book club
Image: Saving Sun Bear Book Club Monthly Virtual Meeting March 2021 on the                        March 2021
10th of March 2021.

                                                                                          Saving Sun Bears book club
Image: Saving Sun Bear Book Club Monthly Virtual Meeting April 2021 on the
                                                                                                  April 2021
10th April 2021

Wildlife Wong and th Sun Bear Book
Launch on Youtube!
Witness the launching of Wildlife Wong and the Sun Bear book on Youtube. Scan or tap the QR Code to be
redirected to the video.

                                                                                          Wildlife Wong and the Sun
Image: Wildlife Wong and the Sun Bear Book Launch Wildlife Wong and th Sun                   Bear Book Launch
Bear Bookaunch

The Sun Bear Voice                                                   Volume 8, Number 3                     May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
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Environmental Education

                                                                                                                       Environmental Education
American Corner x US Alumni Adoption
Program

The AC-UMS collaborated with BSBCC with the support of US Embassy to organize a virtual tour via Zoom
application and live on the Facebook. The event attended by Mr. Akash Suri, the Assistant Culture Affairs Officer
of the US Embassy of Kuala Lumpur. An open live video, it is available to public and can be view at our Facebook
page by scanning or tapping the QR code below.

    Scan or Tap the QR
    Code to watch the
    recorded FB Live.

   Image: Screenshot of the programme banner on BSBCC FB page.

The Sun Bear Voice                                               Volume 8, Number 3                  May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
BSBCC in the News                                                                                                   7
BSBCC was also featured in the following online news:

                                                                                                                  BSBCC in the news
•   Hefty fine alone won’t stop wildlife crimes, Putrajaya told. Free Malaysia Today. 8th April 2021.
    https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/04/08/hefty-fine-alone-wont-stop-wildlife-crimes-
    putrajaya-told/?fbclid=IwAR1R0ngrxIYnNIKPCNIGuus45UvXGR5rZhDcCPDJ8KXVdhqSv7SWIc3f-mk

•   Hefty fine alone won’t stop wildlife crimes, Putrajaya told. Free Malaysia Today. 8th April 2021.
    https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/04/08/hefty-fine-alone-wont-stop-wildlife-crimes-
    putrajaya-told/?fbclid=IwAR1R0ngrxIYnNIKPCNIGuus45UvXGR5rZhDcCPDJ8KXVdhqSv7SWIc3f-mk

The Sun Bear Voice                            Volume 8, Number 3                                May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
8
Volunteers &

                                                                                                                                         Volunteers & Internships
Internships
BSBCC currently houses 43 rescued Sun Bears in
our two Bear Houses and a quarantine facility. Each
day, the once captive Sun Bears are provided with
ample food and activities to stimulate healthy bear
behaviour. Volunteers and interns help our keepers to
achieve our goals in looking after the welfare of these
bears and helping them in their rehabilitation process.

BSBCC Volunteer Programme
BSBCC continues to receive help from volunteers
across the world. The BSBCC volunteer programme,
                                                               Image: Durians for the bears!
conducted in collaboration with APE Malaysia, has
been active up to the mid-March 2020, before
the COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on the
programme until further notice. Volunteers in this
programme were supervised by BSBCC staffs with
much-appreciated assistance from the APE Malaysia
team. Besides helping the keepers in caring for the
bears at the Centre, volunteers also helped to spread
awareness on the plights of Sun Bears through the
education booth at our visitor Centre. Let’s hope that
the COVID 19 pandemic will end quickly so everyone
can come and contribute as volunteers and interns.
                                                              Image: All out for the bears!

Internship at BSBCC
BSBCC welcomes students from any local and
international institutions for their internship at the
Centre. Interns will have the opportunity to learn
about the rehabilitation of once captive Sun Bears.
Interns will also study the importance of bear
enrichment and of cleanliness of the facility. They
will also have a rare opportunity to learn about the
behaviours of this little known species up close.

BATs group
The BATs group programme at BSBCC will learn about
                                                              Image: “So, how should I tie the peanut smeared eggboxes?”
Sun Bear ecology, helping in basic building techniques
and develop their teamwork and leadership skills in
the challenging environment.

If you would like to make a difference and enjoy the
experience of a lifetime, please join us. Learn about
our volunteer programme on our website www.bsbcc.
org.my/volunteer.html or email us at info.bsbcc@
gmail.com for further enquiries.

The Sun Bear Voice                                  Volume 8, Number 3                                                 May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
March/April Share Bear adopters 2021                                                                                              9
Adoption Programme

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Adoption Programne
                                                                                            1.      Beatrice Thio Hui Jin                                   18. NUS GE4224 Applied
Welcome a Sun Bear into your family, class, club or                                         2.      Werner Meier                                                Biogeography Module 2021
corporation by adopting a Sun Bear or buying a gift of                                      3.      Julie Clemitson                                         19. NUS GE2101 Methods and
                                                                                            4.      Janice Gaskin                                               Practices in Geography
Sun Bear medicine, food, or toys to show you care and                                       5.      Atlas Zaiontz                                               module
support the valuable work of BSBCC.                                                         6.      Vincent Oleff                                           20. Julie Soh
                                                                                            7.      Annabel Gee (Anna Gee)                                  21. Vincent Oleff
                                                                                            8.      Werner Wieczorek und                                    22. Eva Herkel
Adopting a bear is a great way to learn about                                                       Monika Wieczorek-Schenk                                 23. Mikiko Iguchi
                                                                                            9.      Ong Ai Wooi                                             24. Mark & Catherine McCoy
Sun Bears while helping BSBCC meet the costs of                                             10.     Michaela Pratt                                          25. Jane Kostelnyk
rehabilitation. Funds raised by the adoption program                                        11.     Peppi                                                   26. Raphael Ho
                                                                                            12.     Elena Garavelli                                         27. Bente Pedersen
are used to better the lives of all bears.                                                  13.     Lum Encian                                              28. Marcelle Ross
                                                                                            14.     Nancy Hartounian                                        29. Colin & Emma Hoare
                                                                                            15.     Paul & Renu Wilson                                      30. CY Leong
                                                                                            16.     Hilary Wipperman                                        31. Chris Kay

Gifts with meaning                                                                          17.     Julie Clemitson                                         32. Mrs. Curtis & PJCC Sun
                                                                                                                                                                Bears of ISKL
                   f h o n e y!
                to
           po
                                                                                            Share Bears
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                                                                                            Adopt our Share Bears now!
                                                                                            Show your supports to our Centre to take care of the
                                                                    Ah                      world’s smallest bears by adopting one of the following
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                                                                                                 Scan or tap the following QR Code to adopt any of the
                                                                                                                                       bears above!

The Sun Bear Voice                                                               Volume 8, Number 3                                                                                  May - June 2021
Sun Bear - Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
March/April My Bear Adopters 2021                                                     10

                                                                                                                       Adoption Programne
SUSIE 2 adopted by Vincent Oleff (March 2021)                OM adopted by Julie Clemitson (March 2021)

SUSIE 2 adopted by Vincent Oleff (April 2021)                 OM adopted by Julie Clemitson (April 2021)

 For all supporters, donors and adopters. Know that your monetary supports, morale supports, hope and prayers
  means a lot to us especially during this time of COVID-19 pandemic. Your kindness will be forever in our mind,
                     and will help us to persevere in our fight for the sun bear cause. Thank you!

The Sun Bear Voice                                Volume 8, Number 3                                 May - June 2021
11
                                                   Bear Shop

                                                                                                                       Bear Shop
                     Whether it is for you or a gift for your loved ones, all purchases help us to
                          protect, save and enrich the lives of the endangered Sun Bears.

                             Please click or scan on the QR code for the order form
                              if you are interested in purchasing our merchandises.
                                             Terms and conditions:
                               1. No cancellation upon confirmation of purchase.
                                    2. Price shown are inclusive of GST 0%.
                                Additional charges for shipping will be incurred.

The Sun Bear Voice                                     Volume 8, Number 3                            May - June 2021
12
                                                   Bear Shop

                                                                                                                       Bear Shop
                     Whether it is for you or a gift for your loved ones, all purchases help us to
                          protect, save and enrich the lives of the endangered Sun Bears.

                             Please click or scan on the QR code for the order form
                              if you are interested in purchasing our merchandises.
                                             Terms and conditions:
                               1. No cancellation upon confirmation of purchase.
                                    2. Price shown are inclusive of GST 0%.
                                Additional charges for shipping will be incurred.

The Sun Bear Voice                                     Volume 8, Number 3                            May - June 2021
•   Tan May Leng                 •   Colin Hoare
Donors & Contributors                                         •   Thye Wai Yee                 •   Jack Ladenheim
                                                                                                                                13
BSBCC’s work would never been possible without in-            •   Joey Choy Zhu Er             •   Michele Mc Evoy

                                                                                                                                Donors & Contributors
kind and financial support from various individuals and       •   Tan Wai Hua                  •   Jan Kuenhausen
agencies. We acknowledge the continuous support from          •   Hum Huey Li from Toffee •        Kieran John Birchley

the following contributors:                                   •   Christine Ho Mei Yen         •   Jacky Leong
• Stephen November          •     J M Smith                   •   Borneo & Beyond              •   Chooi Lan Ng
• Wong Meng Li              •     Hazel M Watts               •   Jefrey Bin Thitus            •   Nyam Fui Lin
•    Jennifer Logan-Porter    •   Sook Yuen Yan               •   Farben Teechnique (M)        •   Barbara Katsifolis
•    Anna Anderson            •   Brenton Head                Sdn Bhd                          •   Lee Zi Ling
•    Sarah Cheetham           •   Anne Mapson                 •   Yong Yew Choon               •   Hum Huey Li
•    Sim Jonathan             •   Teresa Rivas                •   Zaitun Moosdeen              •   Marilyn Charlene Monti
•    Kavitha Aruljothi        •   Cinzia Moncini              •   Leong Mei Foong              •   Hozana Chrien
•    Go Yi Jie                •   Pavel Berkovich             •   Tan May Lang                 •   Arifa Syahira Binti
•    Christine Koerting       •   Gry Nymo                    •   Au Yong Hui                  Suhai
•    John Hechtel             •   Jan Kuehnhausen             •   Hng Lee Ying                 •   Mr Roger Wakeford-
•    Tanya Stevenson        •     Dawn Reed                   •   Clarck Martinez Elizabeth Brown
•   Jorge Julian Plascencia •     Pamela Xin Yi               •   Tony Henderson
Lliteras                    •     Sara Prados
•    Eliane Duthoit           •   Christopher Chacksfield
•    Dawn Tanner              •   Jens Soderlund
•    Lau Jun You              •   Zhu Xun
•    Biljana Markova          •   Hui Yee Foo
•    Jason Woolgar            •   Mun Cheong
•    Yvonne Ayden             •   Chooi Ng Lan
•    Samantha Rudofsky        •   Michelle Phoong
•    Susan White              •   Sustainable Promotions
•    James F Felts            •   Sejal Petal
•    Zhi Min Low              •   Elina Teplinsky
•    Yvonne Eisner            •   Teoh Saw Ling

                                                              BORNEAN SUN BEAR CONSERVATION CENTRE (BSBCC)
    If you would like to make a direct donation to BSBCC,
                                                              Location address:
    you can do so with one of these methods:
                                                              Mile 14, Jalan Sepilok, Off Jalan Labuk, 90000

    . Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre                    Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
                                                              Postal address:
    (BSBCC) - Donate any amount directly to BSBCC
                                                              PPM 219, Elopura, 90000 Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.
    through our paypal account by clicking the donate
                                                              Contact number: +6 089 534 491
    button on our website: www.bsbcc.org.my
                                                              E-mail: info.bsbcc@gmail.com

    . Wong Siew Te - Send an email to our CEO and                   Website		            Facebook              Instagram
    Founder, Dr. Wong Siew Te, for further inquiries on
    donating directly to us at wongsiew@hotmail.com

                                                                         With contributions of photos & text from
                                                                  Chiew Lin May, Seng Yen Wah, Gloria Ganang, Risnayati
                                                               Lammu, Mohd. Haniff Mohd. Busrah, Yvonne Chong Yee Wen,
                                                                                Nurul Haslinda Abdul Kahar
                                                                              Proofreading / English editor
                                                                                   Teresa Fung Wing Ka
                                                                                  Compiled & edited by
                                                                                Mohd Haniff Bin Mohd Busrah

The Sun Bear Voice                                  Volume 8, Number 3                                        May - June 2021
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