Kuching, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 – As the Chinese New Year celebrations continue to bring joy and prosperity to houses and the Kuching streets, SARAWAK FORESTRY Corporation also shares the joy of the Year of the Rabbit, not with the rabbit but with the birth of a sun bear. The bundle of joy marks another significant milestone for conservation of wildlife in Sarawak and tireless efforts in rehabilitation of sun bear by SFC at Matang Wildlife Centre, near Kuching. The newborn female sun bear which weighs at approximately 500g and 6 inches in length is the first cub naturally and safely delivered since the past two years.

The newborn baby sun bear and its mother are kept under tight surveillance and monitoring which is under SARAWAK FORESTRY’s breeding programme in Matang Wildlife Centre, to ensure their safety and existence in the wild. The intensive care is essentially important for the cub in order for it to be able to safely follow her mother and survive.
 
Datu Haji Len Talif Salleh, the Managing Director / CEO of SARAWAK FORESTRY, who is ecstatic on the new member of the sun bear family  regarded this event as a very important indication of how Sarawak is blessed and how we must play our role in protecting the habitats of the rainforest..  He said, “We as human beings must have the responsibility to protect, nurture and care for nature and the ecosystem. If we do not, then our legacy will not last for long.”   He added, “Matang Wildlife Centre has always played its role in providing the wildlife with the attention and care needed by these animals in order for them to survive and we will continue to do so in hopes that we can set an example for the younger generations so that they will also learn to love and protect Sarawak’s legacy.”

Len Talif, who is also the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Planning and Resource Management and the Director of Forests, said, “Today, we have only 9 sun bears under our care with 3 males and 6 females  which are still a small number compared to the number of sun bears killed by poachers for the irresponsible and selfish needs. We all must realize the importance of this species towards our ecosystem and food cycle which many of the masses still fail to see which I find very disappointing because at the end of the day, if our animals become extinct, so will our food chain and eventually we humans will become the ones who will suffer. ”

Len Talif stressed that SARAWAK FORESTRY cannot work alone to ensure the sustainability of protected and totally protected wildlife in the State. Thus, a nationwide reciprocal cooperation is the key to cultivate and ensure the survival for not only the sun bears but also other wildlife, flora and fauna, as well as aquatic marine life.   

“We at SARAWAK FORESTRY are very happy and thankful for this newborn cub as it will lead the future of a new generation of the sun bears and it also shows that we are on the right direction in preventing extinction.” added Len Talif, who aimed at creating a safe haven for the protected species in Sarawak, cultivating their habitat and allowing them live freely without any risks or threats.

SARAWAK FORESTRY carries out conservation and rehabilitation for sun bears at Matang Wildlife Centre in which the rehabilitation operations is done in collaboration with volunteers and NGOs, where they conduct behavioural observation, enclosure enrichment and feeding practices.  “There are many programmes besides rehabilitation and breeding programmes which will be implemented in the future to provide the sun bears with the most suitable conditions for them to pick up on their survival skills and habitat more effectively” added Len Talif.