The smallest and rarest of its kind, these bears have not always enjoyed the spotlight. Even so, their population have fallen victim to poachers, deforestation and industrialisation.
To learn more about these gentle beasts, theSun sat down with wildlife biologist Dr Wong Siew Te, who has spent his life working to preserve the dwindling population of sun bears.
Wong started his mission 27 years ago when he was chosen to study wild sun bears’ ecology in Sabah. What began as a scientific study turned into a passion project for the man affectionately known as Papa Bear.
He shared that the bears’ forest is being actively destroyed by human activities – not only that, but they are also poached to be kept as pets.
Heading the call, Wong knew in his heart that his destiny was to help the sun bears regain their place in nature amid their dwindling population.
At heart of the sun bear conservation efforts is creating awareness and educating the masses about these gentle beasts, Wong said.
He highlighted the ecological importance of sun bears to our environment, especially for seed dispersal – a process in which the plants/fruits’ seeds are transported to new sites for germination.
Wong dubbed them the “forest doctors and engineers” as they help keep it healthy and are somewhat responsible for “reshaping its infrastructure”.
They will climb up top and use their sharp teeth to rip the trees open to get honey – and then, the ripped tree will be repurposed as nests by many other animals, including hornbills, flying squirrels, owls, parrots and more.
Nature-based tourism
“In Sabah, we help the locals through nature-based tourism.”
“Through nature-based tourism, we create an incentive for the local people to protect wildlife.
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016, the sun bears’ vulnerable position means all hands on deck. And that includes coexisting with the sun bears.
He shared that the tokens in the souvenir shops are handicrafts from the local community, and every purchase by a tourist keeps the locals’ economy alive.
“It will surely raise awareness,” he said, adding that this move will help grow the economy, which will evidently help the conservation of sun bears.
That said, this feat is not a one man show – hence, Yayasan Hasanah has been key in building the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, having featured in The Hasanah Report 2024, which highlights the impactful work of everyday Malaysians, Wong shared. This concomitantly aides nature-based tourism in Sabah as it raises awareness by investing in meaningful initiatives.
Ensuring the future generation will still have forests to trek and flowers to smell, caring for our animals, key figures of the ecosystem, is our burden to bear. Let it not be that the only way our kids learn about animals is through screens and book pages.
Hence then, the article about bear necessities preserving nature s farmers was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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