TANAH MERAH, June 2 — A male sun bear was caught in Kampung Air Asahan Hulu today, said Kelantan’s Department of Wildlife Protection and National Parks (Perhilitan), less than a week after a female bear was trapped in the same orchard.

Hence curiously, on the romantic side of wildlife conservation, could it be a case of a courting couple broken up on the honey trail?

Director of Perhilitan Kelantan Mohamad Hafid Rohani said the wild animal was caught by its Jeli staff after taking immediate action on a May 29 complaint about a bear roaming in the orchard of villagers.

"After the complaint, our staff went straight to the location and installed a trap to catch the animal. Today, the sun bear entered the trap, relieving the villagers of any more ongoing losses due to the destruction of agricultural produce and property,” he said here today.

According to him, the bear in question was the second one caught in the same village after a female sun bear was caught on May 28.

While there may be quirky concerns among wildlife conservationists on where to release the male bear to re-unite a couple of courting bears separated by capture during mating season, Mohamad Hafid only said the relocation and release of the male sun bear to a more suitable and safer habitat will be carried out very soon by the Jeli Perhilitan unit.

"The capture and relocation of the bear is not a long-term solution as the village is close to the Air Satan Nature Reserve (HS) which is the original habitat of wildlife,” he said.

For the record, sun bears breed throughout the year and are promiscuous. Once a male suitor trails a prospective mate from a distance, the female bear may run away, playing hard to get.

This is what the reality of the situation is now in Jeli, whether the male sun bear will be released into the same forest as ‘mama bear’. — Bernamaq