A fundraising event for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

From Life In Borneo blog:

An array of Malaysia’s best-known musicians, television and film icons will come together for one night to raise funds for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, to be established at Sepilok, Sandakan. Aptly named ‘Bear Necessities’, this fundraising event will be held at Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa on Friday 14th November 2008 at 6.30pm.

The Malayan Sun Bear

Borneo is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, where some of them are unique to the forest of Borneo. The Malayan Sun Bear is one such animal. The sun bear is the smallest of the world’s eight bear species, about 1.2 metres (4 feet) in length. Its name comes from the orange-yellowish marking on its chest, which looks like a crescent-shaped sun. It has short and sleek fur, unlike other members of the bear species, and dark black or brown-black in colour. The sun bear is also an excellent climber - it has large paws with hairless soles and long claws that help them move about with ease high up in trees.

A threatened species

The Malayan Sun Bear was once widespread throughout Southeast Asia, but now its home is fast diminishing. Sabah is one of the last few places where this animal can still be found in the wild. It is under constant threat, its natural habitat in the wild disappearing from forest degradation. They are also illegally hunted for food and for medicines. They clash with human settlements at times and are often shot to prevent damage to crops. The sun bears are also victims to poaching, captured as small cubs for the pet trade.

Continue reading (incl. pics) at: A fundraising event for the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre