Annalisa Dione, a member of Ursa Freedom Project, has knitted some charming sun bears as a way to raise money for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. 100% of the money received for the knitted bears will be donated to BSBCC to help save sun bears that are rescued from bad situations. Each knitted bear you buy comes with a gift tag with an artist's statement and story of a bear rescued by BSBCC. Annalisa's love for bears inspired her to design a collection of knitted sun bears as a way to raise money for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC). Sun bears are threatened with extinction because of habitat loss and poaching for the illegal bear trade.
Every single knitted sun bear Annalisa has made is unique and one-of-a-kind. She says, "The bears are completely hand made with a lot of love and positive energy for the bears and those who work to help them. My bears are made of 100% pure merino wool and stuffed with recycled yarn and fiberfill."
To buy a bear visit Ursa Freedom Project and click on the Donate button.
Thank you so much Analisa for helping sun bear and BSBCC!
Two days before Christmas day on the 23rd, Wai Pak received a call from the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), saying that a sun bear cub was on its way to be sent to BSBCC. Hour later, a SWD officer from Lahad Datu delivered this baby sun bear at BSBCC.
We did not know what the story behind this sun bear cub was. What we knew was someone surrendered this sun bear cub to the SWD Lahad Datu office, and the SWD office immediately sent this cub to us. We name this female sun bear "Natalie". She marks the 21 sun bears we currently house at BSBCC. Weighing just a bit over 5 kg and probably 3-4 month old, Natalie appeared to be healthy although suffered from a bit of malnutrition. Wai Pak and I had a long skype conversation to talk about the care and husbandry of Natalie, as taking care of baby sun bear could be challenging because we are not a sun bear mother after all.
Natalie is active and playful over the past few days since she was with us. She also attaches and bonds with Wai Pak well and quickly. Wai Pak walks her around the centre and Natalie follows Wai Pak closely without wondering away. At this age, Natalie is still heavily depends on her mother for survival. It is no surprise to see Natalie's attaching behavior to Wai Pak because all sun bear cubs at this age need the tender loving care and adequate nursing from their mother.
Natalie is both unfortunate and fortunate. She is unfortunate because she is a victim of habitat loss, poaching and pet trade (although we do know the story behind Natalie at this point, investigation is ongoing but slow due to the holiday season). However, she is fortunate because she was sent to Sabah Wildlife Department and the care of Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. We will try our best to take good care of her for sure.
The BBC documentary "The Orangutan Diary" told the moment of truth and desperate dilemma of hundreds if not thousands of adults and infant orangutans being homeless, killed, and orphanized due to logging, habitat destruction, oil palm plantation development, poaching, and pet trade; in short, "human activities" on this once pristine island of Borneo. The same faith applies to other wildlife species, such as sun bears. Many sun bears like the orangutans show in The Orangutan Diary being killed, babies being orphanized and kept as pets, because of these "human activities" on this landscape. Over the past three months, there were about a dozen cases of sun bear infants being captured as pets, many end up in orangutan rescue centres, seek my advices on care, medical attention, husbandry and rehabilitation of the orphan sun bear cubs they have rescued. The numbers of these orphaned sun bear cubs concern me as I believe there are many more unreported cases. The case like Natalie represents a tip of an iceberg.
I am glad that Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre has been established thanks to enormous efforts and helps from many parties, especially Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department, LEAP and many generous donors to make this project possible. BSBCC is essential to provide adequate cares, halfway and permanent home for many rescued sun bears. BSBCC is also crucial to raise conservation awareness and to conserve sun bears in many ways.
Please help us. We need your help to help sun bears like Natalie!
The photos of Suria the sun bear tell the story of one of 21 rescued sun bears currently house in Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. From the traumatic early life, Suria been through a lot since she was a little sun bear cub: her mother being poached, she was being captured, kept as a pet in a small filthy metal cage. Suria is now lives in her new bear house and spend time in her primary forest enclosure climbing trees and digging soil. Her life literally transformed from one end to the other after she was sent to BSBCC.
Beside Suria, there are 20 more sun bears: Cerah, Kuamut, Manis, Om, An Chong, etc., all been through similar experiences, but are now living in a better environment and receiving adequate care at BSBCC. Just few hours before I write this message, a baby sun bear was sent to BSBCC, another victim from habitat loss, poaching, and pet trade. We name this latest rescued sun bear cub, "Natalie".
All of our rescued bears have a new life because your helps and supports to make BSBCC a success. The establishment of BSBCC is what we believe as the first step to help and save sun bears: starting from rescuing caged sun bears, follow by educating people about the plight of sun bears and their vulnerable habitat, and finally conserve the species across its range in SE Asia. This year, we have overcome many challenges for this ambitious project. We have completed the construction of our new bear house and forest enclosures, and have our initial 12 bears moved to their new home. Soon after, we have rescued another nine more sun bears, filling up our carrying capacity quickly, including our latest rescuee Natalie. With your generous donation, we managed to pay for the bear food, staff's salaries, the constructions and maintenance costs, and run the centre as planned. Last month, the Malaysian federal government agreed to provide funding for the construction of additional bear house, forest enclosures, and visitor facilities to complete the construction phase of this project! In other words, we have the full funding for the construction of the entire centre!
Our successes so far are not because of pure luck, but a lot of hard works from many people, locally and internationally. We have suceeded because of your believes, helps, and supports. We have suceeded because of the great team works joining forces and make the impossible become possible! With your helps and supports, we have a fruitful year in 2010 to bring a better life for our rescued sun bears and to raise the awareness on sun bear conservation across the world. However, our works will not stop here or slowing down. There are more caged sun bears needed to be rescued, and more sun bear habitat needed to be protected. We are looking forward to face these challenges and hoping to accomplish more the coming new year of 2011.
As for myself, I am completing my doctorate study in USA and will be reporting for duty on site at BSBCC early next year. Setting up BSBCC has been my dream for many years and I am SO excited to return and to serve my home country and base at this facility permanently. After all, this is my destiny and what I was trained for: to do conservation, education, research, and rehabilitation works on sun bear, wildlife and their habitat.
On behalf of BSBCC and all the sun bears (and of course myself and my family), I would like to THANK all of YOU for your helps and supports. Without your helps and supports, Suria and other sun bears would not be able to climb REAL trees, dig the soils, and roam the forest enclosures at BSBCC.
Finally, at this holiday season, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New YEAR!