Caged sun bear spotted in Kuching residential estate

KUCHING — A caged sun bear spotted at a house in Sarawak is causing an online furore from netizens concerned about the animal's welfare.

A concerned passerby had seen the sun bear — which was allegedly locked in a cage at a housing estate in Kuching — and subsequently posted on Facebook to draw attention to the animal's plight, local media reported. The post gained traction and has since had over 600 shares on the social media platform.

The sun bear was described as being trapped in a steel-bar cage without any "enrichment”.

Malaysia Nature Society national council member Musa Musbah reportedly told Malaysian news agency Bernama that he was informed about the case and that the sun bear's steel cage was like a tiny “hell”. The bear had repeatedly tried biting the metal bars in order to free itself from captivity, he said.

The sun bear is a protected animal in Malaysia. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks’ director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim told Bernama that and there are only a few of the animals left in the Malaysian forest, and noted that members of the public are not allowed to keep bears as they are categorised as "ferocious".

A sun bear can grow up to 100kg, he added.

This is the second case in recent months involving a sun bear being kept in a residential area in Malaysia. In June, a Malaysian singer was arrested for keeping a sun bear cub in her Kuala Lumpur condominium, claiming that she had mistaken the bear for a dog.

Under Sarawak wildlife protection laws, those found guilty of hunting or possessing the protected animals — whether dead or alive or in parts — without a licence could face a fine of RM10,000 (S$3,288) and one year in jail.

It is understood that a report had been made to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, which enforces wildlife laws in the state. The Sarawak Forestry Corporation reportedly said they were aware of the case and that the sun bear’s owner had a permit to keep it.

However, the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia called for the sun bear to be surrendered to the authorities for rehabilitation.

“The sun bear should not have been kept as a pet in the first place. Sun bears require a large space for their daily activities, and can be active during the day and night. Small space restricts their movements and can be stressful for the animal.”

“Furthermore, sun bears display erratic behaviours at times, and can be dangerous. Therefore we should never keep this animal close to human populated areas,” the statement said. AGENCIES