UMS Sandakan students get hands-on with sun bear conservation
A group photo with Dr Wong Siew Te at the end of the programme.
SANDAKAN (June 26): A group of students from the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) recently spent their morning contributing to wildlife conservation efforts by volunteering at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan.
The initiative, titled Hands for Paws, was organised by the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture Students' Association. It brought together 19 undergraduate students from various Agricultural Science majors, along with their accompanying lecturer, Dr Sharif Azmi Abdurahman.
Throughout the half-day programme, the students were involved in a series of conservation activities under the guidance of Boniface Joss, Bear Care Coordinator, and Kelson Kuangon, Bear Keeper at BSBCC. These included cleaning sun bear enclosures, carrying out fence maintenance, and enhancing the natural surroundings of the centre. They also planted native tree saplings such as Belian, Kapur Paji and Laran Putih, which were contributed by the Sabah Forestry Department.
In a more creative and engaging task, the students designed and prepared enrichment items for the bears, such as puzzle logs filled with hidden treats. These items stimulate natural behaviours like foraging and exploring, while also supporting the bears' mental well-being. After placing them inside the enclosures, the students observed the bears' responses from the observation platform.
'Organising Hands for Paws has been an eye-opening journey,' said Jeff Winter Joseph, the programme director.
'It gave us firsthand insight into conservation work and reminded us how even small efforts can contribute to something much larger. We hope this initiative inspires more students to get involved in volunteerism and conservation.'
He added that the experience taught them not only about wildlife care, but also about teamwork, leadership, and the importance of doing something meaningful beyond academic life.
A highlight of the visit was a special session with Dr Wong Siew Te, Chief Executive Officer and founder of BSBCC, who praised the group for their efforts.
'I deeply thank the students from UMS Sandakan for their contributions today. Everyone did a great job. Even though it was just for a few hours, sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit. What matters most is the spirit and commitment from the students,' said Dr Wong, who has worked with sun bears for over 27 years.
He also reminded the students that the sun bear is the world's least-known bear species. He stressed the importance of education, awareness, and youth involvement in ensuring their survival.
Dr Wong welcomed the opportunity for more collaborations between students and the centre in the future.
The programme left a lasting impact on the students, many of whom were visiting BSBCC for the first time. They described the experience as unforgettable, particularly the rare opportunity to enter the sun bear enclosures, which are usually off-limits to the public. Several shared how working alongside BSBCC staff gave them a deeper understanding of the vital conservation work carried out at the centre.
One student summed up the experience by saying, 'It's one thing to learn about conservation in class. But seeing it up close, getting your hands dirty and being a part of it is something we'll carry with us long after we graduate.'
The students left the centre not only with muddy boots and tired arms, but also with a renewed appreciation for environmental efforts and a stronger motivation to take part in future community and volunteer initiatives. The student organisers aim to carry out similar efforts in
the near future, continuing the same spirit of service, learning, and environmental engagement.
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a day ago
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UMS Sandakan students get taste of sun bear conservation
Published on: Saturday, June 28, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 28, 2025 Text Size: Student volunteers from UMS Sandakan pose during the preparation and design of enrichment items for the sun bears. SANDAKAN: A group of students from the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Sandakan recently spent their morning contributing to wildlife conservation efforts by volunteering at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), Sepilok, Mile 14, here. The initiative, titled Hands for Paws, was organised by the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture Students' Association. It brought together 19 undergraduate students from various Agricultural Science majors, along with their accompanying lecturer, Dr Sharif Azmi Abdurahman. Throughout the half-day programme, the students were involved in a series of conservation activities under the guidance of Boniface Joss, Bear Care Coordinator, and Kelson Kuangon, Bear Keeper at BSBCC. These included cleaning sun bear enclosures, carrying out fence maintenance, and enhancing the natural surroundings of the centre. They also planted native tree saplings such as Belian, Kapur Paji, and Laran Putih, which were contributed by the Sabah Forestry Department. In a more creative and engaging task, the students designed and prepared enrichment items for the bears, such as puzzle logs filled with hidden treats. These items stimulate natural behaviours like foraging and exploring, while also supporting the bears' mental well-being. After placing them inside the enclosures, the students observed the bears' responses from the observation platform. 'Organising Hands for Paws has been an eye-opening journey,' said Jeff Winter Joseph, the programme director. 'It gave us first-hand insight into conservation work and reminded us how even small efforts can contribute to something much larger. We hope this initiative inspires more students to get involved in volunteerism and conservation.' He added. He said the experience taught them not only about wildlife care, but also about teamwork, leadership, and the importance of doing something meaningful beyond academic life. A highlight of the visit was a special session with Dr Wong Siew Te, Chief Executive Officer and founder of BSBCC, who praised the group for their efforts. 'I deeply thank the students from UMS Sandakan for their contributions today.' 'Everyone did a great job even though but what matters most is the spirit and commitment from the students,' Wong said. Wong has worked with sun bears for over 27 years. He also reminded the students that the sun bear is the world's least-known bear species. He stressed the importance of education, awareness, and youth involvement in ensuring their survival. Wong also welcomed the opportunity for more collaborations between students and the centre in the future. The programme left a lasting impact on the students, many of whom were visiting BSBCC for the first time. They described the experience as unforgettable, particularly the rare opportunity to enter the sun bear enclosures, which are usually off-limits to the public. Several shared how working alongside BSBCC staff gave them a deeper understanding of the vital conservation work carried out at the centre. One student summed up the experience by saying, 'It's one thing to learn about conservation in class. But seeing it up close, getting your hands dirty and being a part of it is something we'll carry with us long after we graduate.' The students left the centre not only with muddy boots and tired arms, but also with a renewed appreciation for environmental efforts and a stronger motivation to take part in future community and volunteer initiatives. The student organisers aim to carry out similar efforts in the near future, continuing the same spirit of service, learning, and environmental engagement. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
3 days ago
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UMS Sandakan students get hands-on with sun bear conservation
A group photo with Dr Wong Siew Te at the end of the programme. SANDAKAN (June 26): A group of students from the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) recently spent their morning contributing to wildlife conservation efforts by volunteering at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan. The initiative, titled Hands for Paws, was organised by the Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture Students' Association. It brought together 19 undergraduate students from various Agricultural Science majors, along with their accompanying lecturer, Dr Sharif Azmi Abdurahman. Throughout the half-day programme, the students were involved in a series of conservation activities under the guidance of Boniface Joss, Bear Care Coordinator, and Kelson Kuangon, Bear Keeper at BSBCC. These included cleaning sun bear enclosures, carrying out fence maintenance, and enhancing the natural surroundings of the centre. They also planted native tree saplings such as Belian, Kapur Paji and Laran Putih, which were contributed by the Sabah Forestry Department. In a more creative and engaging task, the students designed and prepared enrichment items for the bears, such as puzzle logs filled with hidden treats. These items stimulate natural behaviours like foraging and exploring, while also supporting the bears' mental well-being. After placing them inside the enclosures, the students observed the bears' responses from the observation platform. 'Organising Hands for Paws has been an eye-opening journey,' said Jeff Winter Joseph, the programme director. 'It gave us firsthand insight into conservation work and reminded us how even small efforts can contribute to something much larger. We hope this initiative inspires more students to get involved in volunteerism and conservation.' He added that the experience taught them not only about wildlife care, but also about teamwork, leadership, and the importance of doing something meaningful beyond academic life. A highlight of the visit was a special session with Dr Wong Siew Te, Chief Executive Officer and founder of BSBCC, who praised the group for their efforts. 'I deeply thank the students from UMS Sandakan for their contributions today. Everyone did a great job. Even though it was just for a few hours, sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit. What matters most is the spirit and commitment from the students,' said Dr Wong, who has worked with sun bears for over 27 years. He also reminded the students that the sun bear is the world's least-known bear species. He stressed the importance of education, awareness, and youth involvement in ensuring their survival. Dr Wong welcomed the opportunity for more collaborations between students and the centre in the future. The programme left a lasting impact on the students, many of whom were visiting BSBCC for the first time. They described the experience as unforgettable, particularly the rare opportunity to enter the sun bear enclosures, which are usually off-limits to the public. Several shared how working alongside BSBCC staff gave them a deeper understanding of the vital conservation work carried out at the centre. One student summed up the experience by saying, 'It's one thing to learn about conservation in class. But seeing it up close, getting your hands dirty and being a part of it is something we'll carry with us long after we graduate.' The students left the centre not only with muddy boots and tired arms, but also with a renewed appreciation for environmental efforts and a stronger motivation to take part in future community and volunteer initiatives. The student organisers aim to carry out similar efforts in the near future, continuing the same spirit of service, learning, and environmental engagement.
Malay Mail
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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.
