26 | March• 2019ON CHRISTMAS EVEin 2017, shock-
ingimagesofadismemberedsun
bear in a Kuching food market in
Sarawak, East Malaysia, went viral on
social media across the internet. The
animal had been chopped up and its
head and body parts were being sold
as exotic meat.Sun bears, which have a distin-
guishing white or yellowish patch
on their chest, are the smallest of
the bear species. Adults are about
1.2-1.5 metres long and weigh 27-
80 kilograms. In Malaysia, sun bears
are a protected species, which means
it’s against the law to hunt, kill or sellBY SITI ROHANIPAPA Bear
One man has made it his life’s mission
to save the endangered sun bearEVERYDAY HEROES
Pioneer
in animal
conservation:
Wong Siew TePHOTO BY CEPHOTO, UWE ARANAS