Poliana Ronnie Sidom New Straits Times 27 Aug 18;
SANDAKAN: The Sabah Wildlife Department has installed cameras and traps in efforts to capture a protected Bornean sun bear that attacked a villager at Kampung Entilibon in Tongod here, last week.
District Wildlife Officer Hussein Mui said the devices were installed at a forest near the village last Friday with assistance from the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.
“The victim of the attacked helped the us in checking on the traps. We believe the sun bear is still in the nearby forest.
“Although there is no report of the bear reappearing at the village or attacking other villagers, we hope the local community will remain alert and be careful with the presence of the animal,” Hussein told the New Straits Times today.
Last Monday, a 58-year-old retired teacher Jackson Yongki sustained leg injury after being attacked by a sun bear.
Yongki was planting padi with his two teenage sons when the bear suddenly charged at them in the 7.30am incident.
The bear was at first trying to attack one of the boys, but Yongki rescued his children by beating the bear with a piece of wood.
The trio tried to escape from the bear, but it bit Yongki’s leg after he fell down at a muddy area. The sun bear then fled into the forest. The latest incident is the second sighting of sun bear in Tongod in recent months
The first sighting was of a sun bear cub at a logging camp area.
Hussein said the district Wildlife Office would be setting up a WhatsApp group with villagers, so they can easily channel information to the authority’s personnel whenever they need action to be taken in future sun bear sightings.
Wildlife dept hunting for hostile sun bear
The Star 28 Aug 18;
KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife officials are on the hunt for a Borneo sun bear which reportedly attacked a villager in Sabah’s central Tongod district last week.
Sabah Wildlife Department officer for Sandakan Hussein Mui said traps and cameras had been installed around the area where the attack occurred.
The devices were installed at a forest near Kampung Entilibon. The officers were assisted by staff from the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre last Friday.
“There is still no sign of the bear for now. But we have issued alerts to villagers asking them to contact us immediately if they see it,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“We believe the sun bear is still in the nearby forest,” he added.
He said they would also be setting up a WhatsApp group with the villagers to ensure that information could be channelled to the authorities as quickly as possible in case of future incidents or sightings.
Yongki sustained leg injuries during the attack last Monday.
He was planting padi with his two teenage sons when the sun bear suddenly charged at them in the 7.30am incident.
The bear is said to have first tried to attack one of the boys, but Yongki rescued his children by beating the bear with a piece of wood.
They then tried to escape, but the bear bit Yongki’s leg after he fell down in a muddy area. The animal then fled into the forest.
The latest incident is the second sun bear sighting in Tongod in recent months.
The first sighting was of a bear cub at a logging camp area in the district.
