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Supporting Sun Bear Conservation

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Over the last few years I have changed the way I travel and started to look at opportunities to find experiences that give back to local communities and/or support conservation projects.

In February, I will travel to Borneo for the 3rd time in 12 months. Last October I raised over $2000 for elephant conservation in North Sumatra and this time I will be supporting the Bornean Sun bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan.


The biggest threat to the Bornean Sun bear is the loss of habitat and poaching.
Just like baby orangutans, sun bear cubs are incredibly cute and people still think they make good pets. Mother sun bears have to be killed for the cub to be taken and they end up in small cages without ever learning necessary survival skills and most suffer mistreatment. 

The BSBCC cares for rescued sun bears. They are cared for and once they regain their forest skills they hopefully can be given a second chance at a life in the forest. 

When opened in 2008, the centre cared for 7 bears. Today, only 6 years later, it is home to around 40 rescued bears some of which are now up for adoption such as little Kala. 

Kala - 1 Year old 
"Kala arrived at the BSBCC on January 21st, 2015. She was estimated to be just two or three months old - so little Kala has been separated from her mother at a very young age. She was bought by someone in Kalabakan-Sapulut road nearby Maliau Basin with the intention of saving the cub to surrender her to the Sabah Wildlife Department. Kala was emaciated, dehydrated and malnourished and by then, weighed only 3kg."

During my 2 week placement, I will dedicate my time and volunteer at the BSBCC and assist the dedicated staff in caring for the bears that currently call the centre their temporary home. 

Like always, I would like to drum up as much support as I can in support of the centre. As this placement came up with short notice, I only have two weeks to purchase some enrichment items here in Australia and take them over with me. Any small donation will make a big difference in the lives of these extremely cute creatures.

I am trying to raise around $600 to take some useful enrichment items with me but even smaller amounts make a difference. 

$10 - Will pay for a pot of honey
$40 - Will pay for a hammock captive bears can use to                  relax in
$100 - Will feed a sun bear for a week
$120 - Will keep a bear healthy for one year

I hope you can get behind me and start the new year with supporting this campaign.
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Organizer

Barbara Katsifolis
Organizer
Reservoir VIC

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