Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

Sun bears are the smallest bears in the world, and until this centre opened to the public they were the animal most visitors to Borneo had never seen. It takes in bears rescued from the pet trade, gives them large forested enclosures, and where possible returns them to the wild. Visitors watch from raised walkways and observation decks that look down into the trees, with no handling, no photo sessions and no feeding shows. The bears climb, tear rotting wood apart for termites and sleep in daybeds high up, so patience helps. Staff give short talks through the day explaining the history of individual animals, which is the part that stays with most people.

History

In 2004 the wildlife biologist Wong Siew Te surveyed captive sun bears across Malaysia and found most kept in poor conditions. The centre was set up beside the orangutan centre on a 2.5-hectare site that had held a Sumatran rhinoceros breeding programme until 2006, and its first bear house and enclosures opened in March 2010 (Wikipedia, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre).

What you'll find

• The observation decks - raised platforms looking into forested enclosures.
• Bears foraging - animals pulling rotten logs apart for insects and honey.
• Keeper talks - short sessions on the history of individual rescued bears.
• The rehabilitation pens - the quarantine and training areas explained from a distance.

When to go

Open daily through the middle of the day. Bears are most active in the cooler morning hours and after rain, and often sleep high in the trees at midday, when they can be hard to spot at all. Most people combine the visit with the orangutan centre next door, so arriving early avoids the tour-bus block.

Practical notes

There is no guarantee of seeing an active bear: on hot afternoons they sleep out of sight and the visit becomes a walk along an empty walkway. The site is small and an hour covers it. The combined ticket with the orangutan centre is not obvious at the counter, and entry for foreign visitors costs several times the local rate.

Nearby

The Sepilok orangutan centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre are both within walking distance.

Key facts