The Hero of Borneo: Logan the Sun Bear's Journey to Survival

One sunny day in a tropical rainforest in Borneo, bear keeper Jeniur “Boboy” Justin stands on a watching platform 20 meters above the dense forest floor. He observes Logan, a young male sun bear, busy trying to crack open a coconut. Logan’s claws and powerful jaw make short work of the tough shell, and after a refreshing drink, Logan lays on his back for an afternoon siesta.

“Logan loves to eat; he will steal other bears’ food. He has become chubby,” says Boboy with a laugh.

Logan and his keeper, Boboy, are in the forested area of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sandakan, a district in Sabah, East Malaysia. This is the only center in the world solely dedicated to the conservation of the sun bear, providing a refuge for Logan since he was rescued in 2018 as a young cub.

“When Logan first arrived, I could see that he was scared. We found that his left paw had a problem. It got injured in a poacher’s snare,” Boboy recalls.

Without his mother and with an injured paw, Logan needed critical care. Boboy took on the responsibility of looking after him.

“It’s not easy being a surrogate to Logan,” Boboy reflects. “There are a lot of things we need to know, like how bears, especially babies, can survive in the jungle, and how we should teach them to be wild.”

It took months of dedicated care from Boboy for Logan to become confident and capable of fending for himself.

A Dark Cloud Over Sun Bears

Logan’s plight is far from an isolated incident. Since its establishment in 2008, the BSBCC has worked with the state wildlife department to rescue over 60 bears.

“On average, we have five to six bears being sent to our center every year; half of them are adults and half of them are cubs. All of these animals are orphaned because their mums were killed by poachers,” laments Dr. Wong Siew Te, founder of the BSBCC.

Sun bears, the world’s smallest bear species, are found across Southeast Asia and are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Though exact numbers remain unverified, studies indicate their population has fallen by over 30 percent in the last three decades. Habitat loss is a major factor, but the biggest threat currently is poaching for industries like the pet trade and food.

Despite being a legally protected species in Malaysia, poaching persists, driven largely by the demand for bear bile and gall bladders in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A recent report by TRAFFIC found that nearly 70 percent of TCM shops in Malaysia had some form of bear products, up from 48 percent in 2012.

However, there is a growing awareness of viable and healthy alternatives to using wildlife products. The Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Association of Malaysia is advocating for the use of medicinal herbs instead.

“We can completely use medicinal herbs to replace animals,” states Ng Kean Hwa, a second-generation TCM practitioner. “With a clear diagnosis, and when used appropriately, it can directly help achieve the curative effect and is a good form of protection towards the natural environment.”

Rays of Hope

Back at the platform, Logan wakes from his nap and climbs a tree in search of more food. Boboy smiles as any proud parent would and shares a story of when he had to teach Logan the art of tree-climbing.

“There was one time I climbed a small tree, and the tree wasn’t able to support me, and the branch almost broke. What I was most afraid of was that Logan was just below me, and I feared I would be crushed along with Logan,” he shares with a laugh.

“Logan’s hand was weak when it came to climbing trees, but he still challenged himself and refused to give up. That’s why I like Logan. I have spent all this time working with him, and our relationship is so close.”

Today, Logan is a master tree climber despite having a deformed paw. But Boboy has bigger hopes for his "adopted" bear. “In time, we will try our best to fix Logan’s paw… so he can be like other bears and be released into the wild.”

The desire for sun bears to see a new dawn is one that Boboy wishes all Malaysians will come to embrace. “I hope that everyone can work together to protect and care for the wild animals we have. I hope that one day, my children will have the opportunity to see the sun bear in the wild.”

Before he returns to look after the rest of the bears under his care, Boboy has one last story to share. “We gave him the name Logan because of his left paw. It looks like the comic superhero Wolverine’s claw,” says Boboy with a smile.

High up in the trees, Logan has found a comfortable spot and, like a true hero, has fallen asleep once again.