Sick Sun Bear Rescued By Sarawak Forestry Corporation After YouTube Video Goes Viral

A sick and hairless sun bear was finally rescued months after it was dubbed a “strange creature,” the Dodo reported April 2. The bear gained attention in January after a video filmed by workers at a Borneo palm plantation in Malaysia went viral.

“The workers were on their way to work when they saw the animal and caught it after that. They brought the animal to the plantation office before we informed Sarawak Forestry Corp.,” the manager of the SFC, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Borneo Post.

It is unknown what ailment has sickened the bear, but the SFC plans to help her as much as possible. "A veterinarian there will check up on everything to find what medication should be given to the bear. We are hoping that the bear will recover quickly, so we can put her back to the wild,” Nickson Robi of the SFC told The Dodo.

When the sun bear was finally captured, she was aggressive and frightened. She had been beaten by people who didn’t realize the “alien-like” creature was just an ill sun bear, the Dodo noted.

Hundreds of people commented on the YouTube video after hearing the animal was harmed. “This makes me want to cry and is one of the reasons I hate the human race, it’s not doing anything bad and it’s in a horrible condition give it some food or water, don’t hit it,” one YouTube viewer wrote. “Why do they take a video instead of helping it?! That's so sad,” another person added.

The sun bear is an omnivore that grows 4 for 5 feet long. They are named for the half-moon shape patch on their chests and usually weigh from 60 to 150 pounds. The species is labeled as in vulnerable condition by The International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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