Sun Bears' Presence Near Chukai School Sparks Safety Concerns

CHUKAI, July 22 (Bernama) -- The sight of two sun bears roaming near Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seberang Tayor has caused concern among students and teachers.

The school’s gardener, Azmi Yaakob, 52, said the two sun bears were first spotted near the garden and school fence around 8.30 am yesterday.

He said at the time, students and teachers were occupied with sports practice on the school field.

“After spotting the bears, the teachers immediately instructed the students to disperse and return to their classrooms.

“The bears lingered near the fence for quite some time, until about 11 am. After that, they climbed over the fence and entered the orchard behind the school before disappearing into nearby bushes,” he said when contacted today.

Azmi said that although he was afraid, he braved himself to monitor the bears’ movements to ensure the safety of the school community.

He said the bears were likely searching for food in the school’s orchard, which has rambutan, mangosteen and cempedak trees.

“This is the first time I’ve seen bears up close. They were quite large, about thigh-high to an adult when on all fours, possibly even taller if standing upright.

“The school lodged a report with the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) yesterday, and Perhilitan officers came to survey the area and set up traps,” he added.

Terengganu Perhilitan director Loo Kean Seong said the department had already placed two traps in a village near the school since May.

-- BERNAMA