Breakfast was interesting this morning....or should we say disgusting. This did not surprise us as the trip advisor reviews had already warned us of this. You would think they would take it onboard. But no. It is hard to get scrambled egg, beans and toast wrong isn't it? Fully into our few days in nature, today we decided to visit the Sun Bears rehabilitation centre. Sun Bears or 'Honey Bears' as many people know them are often kept illegally in small cages as pets in Borneo due to the lack of education amongst locals. The centre relies on the honesty of other locals around them to allow rescue. Upon arriving at the centre, we watched a DVD about the work which is undergone and how people can help to support them. Another walk through the jungle allowed us to reach a viewing platform of these amazing animals in their natural habitat. Lucky we were. There were 5 bears roaming around, climbing trees, eating and generally amusing the spectators. Keeping our voices quiet, so not to scare or draw attention, we watched them carefully, picking up on the characteristics of each bear. Borneo sun bears are half the size of Malayan ones and scientists believe this is an evolutionary adaptation to food shortage. We listened to stories from one of the workers who told us that one of them was saved on the way to a restaurant. Many in Borneo believe that if they eat bear they will become as strong as one. She also explained how as many of them have been pets, they often think they are human. One used to only walk on 2 feet and when he went into quarantine for 2 months on her arrival she missed the attention of humans. The bear hurt/scratched itself one day and then became to realise that if hurt itself it would get a human in to help it. These are very smart animals. However once mixed with other bears after 2 months it realised it was actually a bear. What a happy ending! The bites are back! Living in the jungle Char is back to being bitten by the lovely mosquitoes, she doesn't normally like the cities but can't wait to escape there tomorrow.

M & C xxxx