'Soft Release' Helps Improve Sun Bear Survival In Tabin
SANDAKAN, June 29 (Bernama) -- The conservation efforts for sun bears in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve have now entered a more structured phase as the endangered animals undergo a phased release using a 'soft release' approach monitored with GPS technology to enhance their survival in the wild habitat.
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) environmental education officer Mohd Haniff Mohd Busrah said that two sun bears are currently undergoing the soft release process, which is a staged release method that allows the animals to adapt to their natural habitat before they are truly able to be independent in the wild.
"This process indeed takes time, depending on the development of each bear. We take them to the forest, then back to the centre and repeat the process until they are independent enough to live on their own in the wild habitat," he said to reporters during a media visit to the project at BSBCC here last Saturday.
According to him, BSBCC currently houses 43 sun bears, most of which were rescued from illegal captivity as pets and found in palm oil plantation areas.
He said that so far, 13 bears have been released using the hard release method, but three of them have been confirmed dead after returning to the wild habitat due to natural factors including competition among bears, food scarcity, disease and injuries.
"When they become too accustomed to humans, the process of restoring their wild nature becomes very challenging. Some no longer exhibit natural behaviour, so they remain at this centre," he said.
He said that each released bear will be fitted with a GPS collar to enable movement monitoring and evaluation of the rehabilitation programme's effectiveness, at a cost of around RM10,000 per unit.
Meanwhile, he said the total number of bears rescued between 2018 and 2026 was 15, with a rising trend in rescues in 2026, which has seen four bears so far.
The Tabin Sun Bear Project is supported by the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF) with a fund of RM50,000 and implemented by BSBCC, in addition to focusing on scientific research, field monitoring, and human-wildlife conflict management.
He said the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, managed by the Sabah Forestry Department and the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), covers an area approximately twice the size of Singapore and is suitable for the conservation of sun bears because it is far from human disturbances.
He said that the area is also equipped with BSBCC facilities for soft release, monitoring, and research purposes, in addition to having logistical uniqueness, including natural landing areas in the volcanic mud zone that facilitate access to the interior.
Meanwhile, MPOGCF conservation and sustainability executive Nur Fatin Amirah Ahmad Amri said that support for the Tabin Sun Bear Project is part of the foundation's efforts to promote sustainable wildlife conservation, particularly ensuring coexistence between the palm oil industry and biodiversity.
She said part of the RM50,000 was used for the provision of GPS collars to monitor the bears' movements after they were released, in addition to cooperation with plantation companies that inform the SWD and BSBCC if there are bears in the plantation areas for further action.
According to her, two sun bears, Tenom and Pitang, were pioneers of the soft release programme, with Tenom, who has been in the Tabin for almost two years, showing positive development as it increasingly adapts to the forest environment.
-- BERNAMA
