Bornean Sun Bear Enrichment

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) advocates for and engages in Malayan sun bear conservation. By emphasizing animal welfare, we wish to highlight the environmental enrichment we are providing to our rescued sun bears. Under captivity, the rescued sun bears remain mostly idle and in a state of boredom, which might lead to non-adaptive reactions like stereotyped behavior and emotional disturbances. Therefore, environmental enrichment is crucial for the rescued sun bears since it can support their mental health and promote natural behavior in captive animals. Environmental enrichment comes in five different forms: food, sensory, cognitive, social, and physical habitats. During this workshop, we will create two different sorts of food-based enrichment: the honeycomb and wood puzzle. At the end of the workshop, it is hoped that the learners will have learned something new about animal welfare and the value of providing environmental enrichment to captive animals. The honeycomb and wood puzzle made in the workshop will be given to our rescued sun bears at BSBCC.