Choki, Bakar and Nur – April 2024
We began 2024 by splitting in 2 an existing sun bear enclosure called Middle Yard in Samboja Lestari of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) in Indonesia. This allowed us to make room for 2 older bears who don’t need so much space and to let the 2 cubs Choki and Bakar go in a large forest enclosure. Choki and Bakar arrived as young cubs in Samboja in 2023, and after spending more than 9 months in “forest school”, they were moved to a 0,7 ha forest enclosure in February this year. Choki and Bakar were later joined by Nur, a female cub who arrived at Samboja in December 2023. All 3 cubs seem happy together and spend most of their time in the trees.
Fleur in her new enclosure – April 2024
In April 2024, we finished renovating another forest enclosure for one individual at Samboja Lestari. This enclosure had been built for Giono who was old and unable to climb or dig, and who died a few months ago. The fence had to be completely dismantled and rebuilt in order to make it safe for all bears. In the process, the den and its roof were also dismantled and rebuilt. An older female sun bear called Fleur was moved in this new enclosure on 17 April 2024. Fleur is one of those bears who does not like the company of other bears but she seems to like her fairly spacious new home.
Boua on the left at ECC
This year Sun Bear Outreach also managed to raise 90.000 USD in order to save an elephant in Laos! Her name is Mae Boua Ngeun and she now belongs to the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury Laos, where she lives in peace with other captive elephants in her natural environment. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to save one beautiful and sensitive being from ending up in a tourist camp, exploited and abused for the rest of her life.
Our new project this year is to help in the slow-release of two sun bear cubs in South Sumatra, working with a rescue center called Sumatra Wildlife Center (SWC). The plan is to bring two cubs to the forest and accompany them daily until they are old enough to fend for themselves. SWC is now setting up the forest camp and the night cage for the cubs who should be brought out there before the end of October to begin their new life. If all goes well, this project will continue in 2025…