It’s
been almost 3 months now that Bonnie has free access to the main enclosure yet
he still hasn’t ventured into its forested area. He goes in the enclosure,
walks along the wall, looks at the trees within, hesitates at going into the
forest, turns around and quickly goes back to the feeding cage. But everyday he
ventures further and further away from the feeding cage, slowly overcoming his
fear of being outdoors. He’s almost there!
Desi
and Hilda are doing well. They have been enjoying the main enclosure for more
than 6 months now and are much more relaxed and at peace then they were before.
In their old cage they spent a lot time pacing like most sun bears do if locked
in a small space, but now the only time I see them pace is when they are hungry
and impatient to be fed. The ret of the time, they seem fairly content.
I
believe that making forested enclosures for adult captive sun bears is without
a doubt the best thing we can do to significantly improve their quality of
life. This enclosure for Desi, Hilda and Bonnie was my first, and in a few days
a second enclosure will completed for two other sun bears at OFI, Ori and
Komet. In the years to come, I thus hope to do many more enclosures for many
more sun bears.
To
find out more about Ori and Komet’s enclosure:
Thank
you for your support.
Patrick
Rouxel