Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
4.5
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
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- Nissa D36 contributionsHighly recommended - great place and unique opportunty to learn about this cute bearI highly recommend to visit the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation centre. It is not so big and can be easily combined with Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (both can be done in 1/2 day if you e.g. start around 09h). Very good opportunity to learn about this cute bear and to watch it. Some of the bears are a bit pitiable (bear with some healed scars and another one making repetitive movements) but this is due to their past (rescued bears), in the centre they are very well being taken care off. It seems only few of them can be released back into the wild.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 26 May 2024
- Michelle BMelbourne, Australia240 contributionsConservation at workThis place is all about conservation. It is quite expensive to get in as the money goes to the work they do. We spoke to one of the guides on the platform and learnt so much about the work they are doing. You won’t need too long here 45 minutes if you take your time.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 9 July 2024
- NormaroseLondon, United Kingdom77 contributionsWell worth a visit and the entrance fee to learn about the sunbearsThe BSBCC is well worth a visit. The founder Wong is doing an excellent job rescuing the bears. It is very close to the sepilok orangutan centre and the rainforest discovery centre so easy to include in an itinerary. The video was very informative and it wasn’t busy so nice to walk around trying to spot the bears. Lots of interesting information about bears generally and about the bears at the centre who have been rescued. Arranged my trip with Azrien. He was great, courteous, on time, comfortable car and careful driver. He took good care of us, he wanted us to see everything he could show us and he also took some pictures and videos of us that we will keep as a wonderful memory of our journey. WhatsApp +60 13797 9018Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 July 2024
- Elvira BCopenhagen, Denmark37 contributionsBeautiful bears - thankful for conservation attemptsWe are a family of three and visited the sanctuary July 2024. Saddened to understand how threatened these beautiful bears are and horrrified by the stories of capture and confinement as pets in small cages prior to rescue of each bear. Thankful for the conservation program and happy to support this. Two bears were pacing but this was due to their former confinement and capture prior to arrival at the conservation centre. Hopefully the future for these bears in the wild can be brighter and that Malays protect rather than try to capture these creatures as pets. There are two platforms for viewing and the bears do not have much space but we understand that the bears are rotated. I was personally saddened by the electrical wires on the trees that prohibited climbing which is a natural instinct of the beautiful animals. I recommend that the conservation center tries to resolve this and the fencing is why I only gave the center four out of five stars.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 29 July 2024
- Keith BWeybread, United Kingdom331 contributionsLinked to the visit to Orangutans and 5 minutes apartGreat to see the bears rehoused in an environment they can enjoy after having a disturbed life to date. Well done for creating and so needed. Saw at least 4 of the bears, Joe the favourite whom we adopted on the day. Great to see climbing and playing in their jungle surroundingVisited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 21 August 2024
- BelMountain Creek, Australia135 contributionsExcellent signage & helpful staffYou learn about the sun bears and can see them too. There is educational signage and it is easy to move between the different areas on the walkways and paths. I really liked when a staff member had a telescope set up on a bear snoozing up in a tree and helped us take photos of her from the telescope image. The gift shop has items you would actually want to buy., Visiting here helps them care for bears and release those that are suitable but I think really worthwhile even without knowing you are doing good by visiting.Visited August 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 21 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,696 reviews
Excellent
954
Very good
513
Average
178
Poor
35
Terrible
16
Gemma m
67 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This place is very informative about sun bears and you can see them easily on both platforms. There are telescopes, you should ask the workers to take a photo with your phone through this as the photo is so cool! We went to the orangutang sanctuary for the morning feeding then the sun bear sanctuary (they dont do feedings) then back to the orangutangs for the afternoon feeding. Dont do a tour we got a grab from sandakan went to both sanctuarys and the rainforest discovery centre and went home for just over half the price of the tours. Great day out!
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine B
Fordingbridge, UK1,469 contributions
Feb 2020
Bit disappointed in my visit here.
Luckily, it was just across from the Sepilok orangutan centre so I hadn't gone out of my way to get to it.
The 1st 2 sun bears that I saw looked quite distressed. They were just walking up & down on a fallen tree. They were exhibiting the behaviour that you see in animals caged in a zoo who are disturbed.
There was a sun bear high up in a tree & the ranger had a telescope pointed to it. That was fun, watching it briefly.
They I moved across to another boardwalk where there were 2 or 3 sun bears eating/playing in a tree. They looked much happier & I took a few photos.
That was it really.
Not terribly impressed!
Luckily, it was just across from the Sepilok orangutan centre so I hadn't gone out of my way to get to it.
The 1st 2 sun bears that I saw looked quite distressed. They were just walking up & down on a fallen tree. They were exhibiting the behaviour that you see in animals caged in a zoo who are disturbed.
There was a sun bear high up in a tree & the ranger had a telescope pointed to it. That was fun, watching it briefly.
They I moved across to another boardwalk where there were 2 or 3 sun bears eating/playing in a tree. They looked much happier & I took a few photos.
That was it really.
Not terribly impressed!
Written 8 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_ritamanning66
Ashby de la Zouch, UK165 contributions
Feb 2020
after visiting the orangutans we crossed the car park to visit the sun bears. staff were available to explain and answer any questions and to point out where the bears were. We saw three from the first platform and then walked along the boardwalk to the second platform. Again we saw several bears and macaques, one female was ready to mate and soon a large male arrived, she didn't like the look of him and moved off, he became very aggressive and decided to hold us hostage! a member of staff called for backup and as soon as he saw the sling shot he disappeared and we were able to leave the platform Plenty of staff available so we were not worried, added a little bit of excitement,
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie C
Gosport, England, United Kingdom83 contributions
Mar 2019
This centre is not as high a profile as the orangutan centre but is doing valuable and, unfortunately, much needed work. It is next door to the orangutan centre and well worth visiting. They are caring people who value their charges and are trying to ensure that this iconic and beautiful bear is helped both in the centre and in the wild. It is heartwarming to know that this centre exists for the conservation of this species.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cosmopolitan587907
4 contributions
Jan 2020 • Friends
We decided to go to the Bornean Sun Bear Center instead of seeing the Orangutans next door. This place does invaluable work for Sun Bears and we saw 3 bears out from the viewing platform and they were adorable. One of the helpers, Becca was very friendly and spoke to us for 20-30 minutes, answering our questions and talking to us about the bears. We even saw an orangutan pop in from next door briefly in the trees!
Could not recommend this place enough!
Could not recommend this place enough!
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peta B
368 contributions
Sept 2022 • Friends
I understand why the center was established and there which is good to see, however being there felt like being in a zoo unfortunately.
The bears are in large fenced enclosures which you can view from platforms above.
They walk around like a zoo on dirt grounds, yet I remind myself they are handled better there than their previous owners.
I would visit if you’re in the area.
The bears are in large fenced enclosures which you can view from platforms above.
They walk around like a zoo on dirt grounds, yet I remind myself they are handled better there than their previous owners.
I would visit if you’re in the area.
Written 27 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bubblesrgood
Guernsey223 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
We walked over the road from the Orangutang Rehabilitation Centre to the Sun Bear Sanctuary and were asked for a MYR 50 admission fee. After going through the barrier there is a short walkway to an area with a large TV showing a rolling film of Sun Bears which was interesting to watch. This lasted about 10 minutes. We then walked on a raised walkway to one of two Sun Bear viewing platforms. The big difference between the orangutang rehabilitation centre and this is that the orangutang have over 40 sq km of land to roam in whereas the sun bears are in large fenced off areas. They are not free to come and go and therefore we immediately had the impression of the bears being in a zoo rather than open conservation centre. This was perhaps naïve on our side but after watching the bears for 10 minutes, walking to the second viewing area and watching them again we were done with our sun bear visit.
We felt that the MYR 50 entrance fee was overpriced relative to the value we received but perhaps that is our lack of knowledge on how much it costs to fund the running of establishment. There are over 40 bears, most have come from a background of neglect and trauma so I think the running costs must be quite high and the need to house the bears like this is unavoidable. Perhaps this could have been made clearer to us than just the rolling TV screen as I think it is an important part of understanding. We would have been happier to pay the MYR 50 with the knowledge that the price reflected the increased running costs if that is what the answer is. We did not see any sun bears in the wild over the next days in Borneo so we were pleased to have visited but would have enjoyed a bit more insight into the establishment (we were independent travelers and perhaps those on a tour would have more information ).
We felt that the MYR 50 entrance fee was overpriced relative to the value we received but perhaps that is our lack of knowledge on how much it costs to fund the running of establishment. There are over 40 bears, most have come from a background of neglect and trauma so I think the running costs must be quite high and the need to house the bears like this is unavoidable. Perhaps this could have been made clearer to us than just the rolling TV screen as I think it is an important part of understanding. We would have been happier to pay the MYR 50 with the knowledge that the price reflected the increased running costs if that is what the answer is. We did not see any sun bears in the wild over the next days in Borneo so we were pleased to have visited but would have enjoyed a bit more insight into the establishment (we were independent travelers and perhaps those on a tour would have more information ).
Written 15 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Talitha M
Arnhem, The Netherlands1,978 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
You never know with these places but it lookes really nice. I talked to a staffmember there and she told me the bears go through several areas, stages before going back into the wild. And so the youngest are closest and in a smaller fenced area, but mostly they slept because it was hot (they are more active in the morning or later in the afternoon). They also used a telescope for one that was further away in a tree and you were able to take pictures through there!! This was all on platform 1, I then went to platform 2 where you really had to look for one and I spotted one! The bear was walking around lookig for food, apparently they're scavenger hunters. All in all it looked nice and the staff is really friendly.
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zalnik
United Kingdom106 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
Don't take me wrong, I love animals that's why I went there.
I just think it's very overestimated and costly for whatever offers.
It was just a walk on a wooden bridge while(if you're lucky and on time...)someone through bananas and other fruits at 6 bears that we saw.
That's it.
And you pay 30Myr per person.
If you go to the Zoo you will see many more animals and three sun bears with only 20 Myr pp
Just saying
I just think it's very overestimated and costly for whatever offers.
It was just a walk on a wooden bridge while(if you're lucky and on time...)someone through bananas and other fruits at 6 bears that we saw.
That's it.
And you pay 30Myr per person.
If you go to the Zoo you will see many more animals and three sun bears with only 20 Myr pp
Just saying
Written 2 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BannedDE
San Francisco, California5,960 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
After a very disappointing visit to the absurdly overcrowded Orang Utan rehabilitation center just across the street, the unique Sun Bear Conservation Center was like a breathe of fresh air.
We much enjoyed it. 1%, perhaps, of the huge hordes including many large families of screaming kids make it across the street from the Orang Utans to the unique Sun Bear conservation center. That, among other things, makes it eminently more enjoyable. Much cooler as there is breeze and there are not several hundred humans crammed together in a tiny pen like observation area.
The rangers, including native English speakers, are very interactive with the small groups that visit (unlike across the street). The sun bears are cute but vicious, they were always snarling and charging at each other creating quite the show. This is the only Sun Bear center in the World, and you'll see them up close from two elevated observation towers.
We much enjoyed it. 1%, perhaps, of the huge hordes including many large families of screaming kids make it across the street from the Orang Utans to the unique Sun Bear conservation center. That, among other things, makes it eminently more enjoyable. Much cooler as there is breeze and there are not several hundred humans crammed together in a tiny pen like observation area.
The rangers, including native English speakers, are very interactive with the small groups that visit (unlike across the street). The sun bears are cute but vicious, they were always snarling and charging at each other creating quite the show. This is the only Sun Bear center in the World, and you'll see them up close from two elevated observation towers.
Written 30 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we will be staying very close walking distance can we just walk up and pay on entry
Written 28 January 2024
For malaysian, if not mistaken, its below RM10..
Written 20 October 2019
Also check the feeding time, when I visited they began climbing trees later on in the day after foraging on the floor in the morning, I don’t know if this is an everyday pattern
Written 30 August 2019
After the recent storm, is the sun bear centre still open? Thank you
Written 18 August 2018
I agree with the previous answer. Best to ring first and check.
Written 18 August 2018
What time does the centre open and close? What time are the bears fed? I read it's not a set time as they are trying to rehabilitate so is there a better time to view? We arrive around 3 plans were going to do this today if possible
Written 15 August 2017
We went as part of tour with Orang-utan centre the Bears were elusive and there are high walkways it is really pot luck how much of them you see but we did see and photographed 'whole' bears there is a lot of poking through bush though just a head or a leg. When we left the bears the orang utan centre was closed as it does have feeding times. I can only suggest that you co-ordinate your visit to see both a call to centre from Hotel would help if you have no guide/contact over there. Enjoy! they are definitely worth a visit. Just be patient.
Written 15 August 2017
Hello, from Sandakan, which one is the best way to reach the Sanctuary ? what's the best time to be there ? thank you in advance for your help. Emilia
Written 30 July 2017
We booked through viatour who picked us up and we had a guide for the trip we went just before lunch plenty of bears to view and staff who talks to you about them. Hope you enjoy
Written 31 July 2017
Is it easy to pick up a taxi at the sanctuary to get back to airport please? We would need to leave to catch a 14.30 flight (no baggage). Thanks.
Written 22 July 2017
Hello, there are taxi's right next door at the Orangutan Sanctuary however I would recommend a save bet ride to the airport with the staff at the Sepilok Nature Resort. The are about a block walking distance from both sanctuaries. Also they can do pack lunch/food to go. Amazing food! Allow 30 minutes.
Pam
Written 22 July 2017
We paid 39 ringgits per person last summer - currently just over £7
Written 25 February 2017
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