SPOTLIGHT ON: PATRICK ROUXEL
Patrick Rouxel serves as a consultant for the BOS Foundation’s Sun Bear Program. His unwavering passion and commitment to improving the facilities of the sun bears at Samboja Lestari are essential to their well-being.
What inspired you to start working with sun bears?
In 2011, a chance encounter with an orphan sun bear cub in Indonesia changed my life. As told in my film “Life is One”, I chose to rehabilitate this cub to the wild, followed by another two cubs, and in the process, I discovered what it is to be a sun bear. The three years I spent in the forest with the cubs opened my eyes to the joy the bears experience at being free in their habitat and, in retrospect, to the suffering they endure when confined behind bars. This triggered my commitment to improve the welfare of captive sun bears in Indonesia.
What specific actions do you take to enhance their welfare?
When I first arrived at Samboja Lestari in 2015, we began by building larger cages for the bears and allowing them to be together. Then, we built large forest enclosures. By 2020, we had created 15 enclosures across approximately 15 hectares of forest land. The bears now have the option to stay in their indoor dens or spend time in the forest, which significantly improves their well-being. As more sun bears arrive at Samboja Lestari, we continue to build new forest enclosures and renovate older ones. My current project is to create a Baby House for the sun bear cubs.
Why is having a Baby House so important?
Sun bear cubs need to feel their mother’s presence at all times and experience stress when left alone. Therefore, when a new sun bear cub arrives at the centre, we give it 24-hour care and allow them to spend as much time outdoors in the forest as possible. Currently, due to a lack of proper facilities, we have the cubs staying in the same room as the person caring for them, which becomes difficult to manage as the cubs get older and begin breaking into everything they can get their claws on. Having a Baby House designed for cubs and their keeper to live under the same roof would allow them to stay with their foster parent 24/7 for as long as necessary, ensuring they feel secure and supported.
How crucial is Forest School for sun bears and their chances of future release?
Forest School and 24-hour care allow the cubs to receive the best possible early childhood experience. By spending 8 to 10 hours a day in the forest with their foster parent, the cubs develop the essential skills needed for potential release. However, releasing rehabilitated sun bears is risky, as the wild resident bears in Indonesia struggle to survive in their dwindling habitat and do not want newcomers stealing their food. BOS Foundation does not yet have a rehabilitation program for the sun bears, but it is interested in developing one. When this happens, the cubs who have experienced Forest School would certainly be the best candidates for release.
Please help Patrick build a new sun bear Baby House here!
