2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

We began 2023 by continuing to make improvements on the facilities in Samboja Lestari of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) in Indonesia, now holding 69 sun bears. We renovated 2 spacious outdoor cages and their respective dens, which will be occupied by new incoming sun bears. The new comers will stay a few weeks in observation in these cages before being trained to the electric fence in an outdoor enclosure, and they will then be introduced to other bears and eventually integrated in an existing group.

With the help of volunteers from BOS Switzerland and BOS Australia, we also did improvements on an enclosure called Bottom Yard at Samboja Lestari: we repaired platforms, built bridges, added climbing structures and even planted 150 seedlings in the enclosure. In May 2023, we plan to split the enclosure in 2 with one half becoming an individual enclosure a bear called Mely who is extremely aggressive with other bears, and the other half becomig an enclosure where the new incoming bears will familiarize themselves with the electric fence.

In April 2023, we will also go back to the Care Centre of the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) in Central Kalimantan, where we have built 4 enclosures in the past. It seems that all the 4 enclosures need fixing up and new climbing structures. This will also be a good opportunity to check on the 17 sun bears now at OFI.

 

For the rest of 2023, our projects are still uncertain as I write these words on 28 February 2023. We will continue to collaborate with BOSF, OFI and the Wildlife Rescue Centre (WRC) at Yogjakarta, but we are also thinking of working with Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) and another local charity called Conservation Action Network (CAN). Although our exact plans from June 2023 onwards are not yet clearly defined, what is sure is that we will continue to help improve the welfare of captive sun bears in Indonesia.

Thank you for your support.