Montom was returned to the forest in a joint effort between the Sabah Wildlife Department, BSBCC and Forest Solutions Malaysia Sdn. Bhd last Friday.
The now six-year-old Montom was the eighth sun bear rehabilitated at the centre, in Sandakan, and returned to the wild in the past five years. Sun bears, a totally protected species, face threats to their existence from habitat loss and poaching for their body parts.
The centre’s founder and chief executive, Dr Wong Siew Te, who led the release operation, said he and his staff had struck a bond with Montom, who was still a cub when he came to them in 2015.
“All of the bears in our centre are like family, like our own children,” he said. “We have nurtured, cared for them and seen them grow and progress. All of us were sad to see him go but this is the right thing to do and for the best. The wilderness is where they should be.”
Montom and his mother had walked into Kampung Melangkap, Kota Marudu, in northern Sabah but the mother bear was chased away by a dog then, leaving the cub to be kept by a villager.
He was subsequently rescued by wildlife officers after being illegally kept as a pet and later handed over to the centre to start its long journey back to the wild.
Prior to Montom’s release, a final medical check-up was conducted by the BSBCC and wildlife vets in Sandakan. He was released back in north Sabah but due to risk of poaching, the exact site was not disclosed.
“Sun bears have a very slow reproduction rate and they cannot withstand any level of poaching and other human-caused mortality such as habitat loss and being kept as pets,” Wong said. Sun bear body parts are often used in traditional medicine.
Montom’s movement will continue to be monitored through a GPS collar.
Throughout his rehabilitation process at BSBCC, Montom has been adapting well towards the natural forest surrounding offered at the centre. Apart from being excellent in climbing trees, he was also at his best at foraging around the forest enclosure.
Wong was contented their rehabilitation programme has seen more sun bears being returned to the wild in previous years, adding they released three alone last year.
He said they presently have 42 more sun bears being rehabilitated at the centre. “We are planning to release three more later this year.”
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