Bottom Yard renovated fence
We began 2026 by renovating and improving an old outdoor enclosure called Bottom Yard at Samboja Lestari in East Kalimantan, which was built 25 years ago. The renovation was completed mid-April and the 2 bears Pampy and Madu have been together in Bottom Yard since.
Pampy in BY – May 2026
Before being moved to BY, Pampy was self-harming herself out of stress and frustration in the cage she was kept in. She has stopped doing so as soon as she was moved to BY.
Madu also seems to be happy of the move; before, he was sharing an enclosure with another male that he did not get along with, the 2 males had to go out in turns, every second day, thus spending a lot of time locked in the dens. Madu is now able to be outdoors 24/7 with a female bear he likes, Pampy.
Site for two 5 Ha enclosures – top right corner
We have many other construction projects at Samboja Lestari for 2026, such as renovating the old quarantine cages, building a new forest enclosure for a bear called Mely, and also building two 5 Ha forest enclosures which will serve as a transitional home for the sun bear release candidates.
The objective is to have the future cubs go from “forest school” to one of these large enclosures where they would spend a year or two with minimal human contact before being brought to a release site as young sub adults. BOSF has approved this project which will cost about 150.000 Euros. We now need to find the funds!
Thank you for your support.