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Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Malay Mail
Not just cute: Visit Malaysia 2026 sun bear mascot carries a conservation mission (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — When the Malayan sun bear was unveiled as the official mascot for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, conservationist Wong Siew Te could barely contain his delight. 'Ini kali lah,' he said with a smile. 'This is the moment when the world will finally get to know the sun bear.' To many, it's simply an adorable bear with a golden crescent across its chest. But to Wong, founder of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sabah, the bear represents much more than a tourism icon — it is a symbol of Malaysia's rich biodiversity and a rallying call for wildlife conservation. 'It's the least known bear in the world,' Wong said. 'They're native to Malaysia, but even here, in the forest, it's so difficult to see one.' At the BSBCC, rescued sun bears are given a second chance, living in natural forest enclosures where they can simply 'do their bear things,' as Wong puts it. Conservationist Wong Siew Te poses in the forest with a sun bear at the BSBCC. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Hasanah More than a mascot The decision to spotlight the sun bear as Malaysia's tourism ambassador in 2026 wasn't made lightly. Wong said Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot, the secretary-general of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, visited the BSBCC to observe the animal firsthand before proposing it to the Cabinet for approval. 'So it wasn't a decision made out of the blue,' he said, and expressed gratitude to Shaharuddin for going to such lengths. For Wong, who has spent more than 20 years rescuing, rehabilitating, and educating the public about these elusive animals, the mascot announcement marked a turning point. In January, the endangered Malayan sun bear was officially named the face of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, a move that also signals the country's commitment to wildlife protection. Two sun bear mascots — one male, one female — have been introduced under the names Wira and Manja. Often called 'forest engineers,' sun bears help maintain the ecosystem by dispersing seeds and controlling pests. Despite their ecological importance, they face ongoing threats from deforestation and poaching, especially for their body parts and bile. Visitors on a forest walkway at the BSBCC in Sandakan, Sabah, look up eagerly, keen to spot the sun bears. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Hasanah What does tourism mean for sun bears? Wong believes sustainable tourism can be a powerful tool for conservation, if done right. 'In the context of the sun bears, when tourism for Malaysia is thriving, it means that people will have better livelihood and when they have better living environment they will not be pushed to survivor mode,' he said. 'Thriving tourism means more job opportunities for the people, because when people are struggling to make a living, they will do anything and this is when they turn to illegal hunting and poaching. 'But with job opportunities, people will no longer need to be involved in such activities.' Managing the crowds After spending 13 years in the United States, Wong is well aware of the downsides of over-tourism, but says he's not worried. 'I've seen how it can be managed. If you plan well, everything will run smoothly. 'I'm not worried about mass tourists, but too few tourists means less income for rural communities, fewer jobs, and fewer reasons for locals to protect wildlife,' he said. Kitud, a sun bear cub, peeks out from among the trees at the BSBCC. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Hasanah A voice for the voiceless With the sun bear now front and centre on the global tourism stage, Wong sees a rare opportunity not just for awareness, but for meaningful change. 'Now we have a case to show the government why we need to protect our forests. Why we need to protect wildlife and protect the forests. 'The trees can't talk, the wildlife and forests have no voice. 'But maybe now, through this mascot, their story can be told,' he said.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Science
- Malay Mail
Why Malaysia's smallest bear matters — and what we need to do to save them
KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — The sun bear, the world's smallest bear species, is often easy to overlook. Yet this shy, fuzzy creature plays a vital role in maintaining the health of Malaysia's rainforests — from dispersing seeds to creating homes for other animals. Despite this, many Malaysians remain unaware that the sun bear lives in their own forests, or that it is one of the most endangered bear species in the world. Conservationist Wong Siew Te has dedicated years to changing that, working to show how these bears are essential for sustaining rainforest ecosystems. However, he says much remains to be done. How are they important? Wong said one of their 'jobs' is as seed dispersers — they help regenerate trees by eating fruits and excreting the seeds far from the mother tree. They also feed on termites, controlling populations that attack mother trees. When they feed on stingless bees, they carve out cavities in the trees that later become nesting sites for hornbills and flying squirrels. 'They are also 'food providers', as a lot of animals actually follow the sun bears around, and when the bears feed on something, they often leave behind scraps that are picked up by pheasants and other birds,' Wong told Malay Mail in an interview. 'This is why they are known as the umbrella species whose protection helps countless other animals.' Do enough people know? For the past 17 years, Wong and his team have been working to raise awareness about sun bears and educate the public on their significance in rainforests. 'I think we managed to reach out to people but not a lot,' he said. Wong said he hopes to see information on wildlife conservation and environmental protection included in the school curriculum. 'Every kid will grow up knowing that there are wildlife and sun bears because still many people do not know that there is a bear called sun bear that lives in their own country,' he added. 'More Malaysians understand about the sun bears today compared to the past, but not all Malaysians know the existence of the sun bears, so this is something we need to catch up on before it is too late,' said Wong. Meeting the sun bears In 1998, Wong arrived in Sabah to conduct research for his Master's degree, which required him to study wild sun bears. 'I happened to be one of the first — to study the sun bears — and I got to discover a lot of amazing things about them and knew how important they are. 'But when I came out of the forest, I saw another extreme — which is deforestation, logging and poaching, it was very sad,' he said. That project eventually led Wong to start a conservation centre. In 2004, Wong received a travel grant from Woodland Park Zoo in the US to travel across Sabah, Sarawak and West Malaysia, to try to understand the situation of the captured sun bears in these three regions. 'The findings were actually quite shocking because so many sun bears are being kept in captivity as pets or display animals in roadside zoos, crocodile farms, and none of these bears were being treated nicely or housed in proper facilities,' he said. Today, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is 17 years old. Poached, eaten and kept as pets However, despite Wong's conservation efforts for the sun bears, threats remain high. 'The biggest threat to the sun bears is still deforestation especially in West Malaysia. After that is hunting and poaching, and followed by sun bears as pets,' he said. Wong said that habitat fragmentation forces the bears to cross roads to find food or shelter, where they often end up as roadkill. He added that in the black market, sun bear paws go for about RM5,000 in West Malaysia and RM2,000 in Sabah — based on checks from before the Covid-19 pandemic. 'So what happens is when the mother bear is killed, the bear cub will be placed in the black market for sale," Wong said. He advised the public to immediately report such cases to the authorities if they come across them. 'Offering money — even to buy the bears as a rescue effort will keep the market alive,' he added. Wong said that while sun bears are protected by strict laws in most parts of Malaysia, in Sarawak the penalties for harming them are much lighter. 'I have been pushing for a stricter law in Sarawak but it's a lot of work and it will take time.' The brighter side Wong said that in recent years, the centre has had to rescue fewer bear cubs, especially from those who used to keep them as pets. 'It's much less, but it's not completely eliminated. So 17 years of work and trying to educate the public, there are still very stubborn people. 'Just two weeks ago, there was another sun bear in West Malaysia that went into someone's house, Perhilitan believes that it's someone's house pet,' he added. What does the centre still need? The BSBCC was thriving, self-sustaining from eco-tourism, until Covid-19 brought the world to a halt. The centre lost its main income — tourists. 'No tourists, no income. But the bears still needed food, medicine and care. Our costs remained high,' he said. That was when Wong reached out to the Hasanah Foundation — under sovereign wealth fund Khazanah — which then established a new funding category for animal welfare. 'The grant helped cover bear food, medicine, and partial salaries for bear keepers during the pandemic,' he said. Looking ahead to 2026, when the sun bear will serve as the Visit Malaysia mascot, Wong said this recognition will help raise global awareness about conservation efforts for the Malaysian bear. 'I'm looking forward to tourists coming to the centre to learn more about the sun bears. 'At the same time, more tourists means more income for the conservation centre,' he added.
Malay Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Kelantan sun bear sightings spark fear among 3,000 Taman Agropolitan residents
GUA MUSANG, May 30 — Some 3,000 residents of Taman Agropolitan in Rantau Manis are living in fear after a sun bear was reportedly spotted roaming their residential area, causing damage to crops and livestock, as well as disrupting daily activities. Resident Siti Aminah Zakaria, 44, said she saw the mammal herself as it was attempting to get jackfruit from a tree just three metres in front of her house. 'I first saw the animal, which was about one metre tall, approaching the jackfruit tree the day before yesterday at around 6pm. My child was outside the house at the time and screamed in shock before running to get me. 'Then yesterday, it appeared in the parking area of my neighbour's house around 11am. The neighbour, who was hanging clothes at the time, was startled and ran inside,' she told reporters when met today. Another resident, Mohd Syawal Imran Abdul Rahim, 17, said he too saw the bear two days ago, digging into a termite mound near a resident's house. 'I quickly recorded the animal's actions and shared it with the neighbourhood's WhatsApp group to alert residents,' he said. Taman Agropolitan Residents' Safety and Development Committee (JKKT) Chairman Roslee Ibrahim, 51, said a bear was spotted roaming around Phase 1 of the residential area approximately three months ago. It was also observed in Kampung 10 two weeks ago. 'Apart from the financial losses, residents are worried about safety after seeing claw marks left by the bear on tree trunks. We are concerned the bear will become bolder and start entering people's homes,' he said. Nenggiri State Assemblyman Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani said a report has been lodged with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) regarding the presence of the wild animal. 'We hope preventive action, including the installation of traps, can be carried out immediately to ensure the safety of residents,' he said. — Bernama
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Sun bear surprises Pekan neighbourhood, sniffs out snacks and makes a mess before rescue team steps in
KUANTAN, May 18 — A sun bear was successfully captured by the Civil Defence Force (APM) after it wandered into a residence in Taman Tanah Putih, Pekan yesterday. Pekan District APM officer Capt (PA) Ahmad Azmi Nafiah said the bear damaged several items in the house supposedly in search of food at about 4.30am. 'The bear then climbed out of the house and it is believed to be a pet bear that escaped from a nearby residential area,' he said in a statement today. He added that they received an emergency call regarding the incident at 8.36am and five APM personnel were dispatched to the scene. 'Upon reaching the site at 8.57am, a team from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) arrived a few minutes later,' he said. He added that the Perhilitan team fired a tranquiliser at the bear to subdue it before taking it back to the Kuantan Perhilitan. — Bernama
