Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – A male sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) was released into the wild by the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA Riau) of the Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with the Tesso Nilo National Park Foundation (Arsari Foundation).
The bear had previously entered a residential area in Makmur Sejahtera Village, Gunung Sahilan Subdistrict, Kampar Regency. The evacuation was swiftly carried out through coordination with village authorities and local security forces.
The head of BBKSDA Riau, Supartono, explained that the handling process began on Monday, May 19, 2025, after the agency received a report of the protected animal’s presence on the night of Sunday, May 18, 2025.
“Our team immediately coordinated with village officials. Based on this coordination, it was agreed to place a trap cage at the last known location of the bear, involving local residents,” said Supartono in a written statement on Monday (May 26, 2025), as reported in an official release by the Ministry of Forestry.
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the team returned to the trap site and found that the bait had been consumed—presumably by the bear—but the trap door had not closed.
The team then improved the trap’s trigger mechanism to make it more effective and still safe for the animal. These efforts paid off on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, when a healthy male sun bear was successfully captured in the trap cage.
After an initial observation, BBKSDA Riau decided to release the bear back into its natural habitat in the Riau Province conservation forest area.
In addition to the evacuation, the team also provided education and outreach to the surrounding community to increase awareness of potential conflicts with wildlife. Residents were advised not to work alone in the fields, especially in the morning and at night.
“We also urged the public not to act aggressively toward protected wildlife and explained the legal consequences for violators. In the event of wildlife conflict, the public is expected to immediately report and coordinate with BBKSDA Riau,” added Supartono.
This swift and coordinated response highlights the importance of collaboration between government agencies, security forces, and local communities in preserving wildlife and fostering harmony between humans and nature. *
