KUCHING: Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) yesterday revealed the sad news that a sun bear looking like the character Gollum in a movie has died from late stage cancer late Monday evening.
In a press statement issued, SFC said the sun bear which appeared to be recovering at Matang Wildlife Centre had fallen sick for more than a week.
An autopsy revealed that the animal died from late stage cancer.
“The animal had not been eating well and was vomiting. Worrying for its health, emergency medical intervention was performed under sedation. It was fed with fluids intravenously (IV) and food through a gastric (stomach) tube.
“Unfortunately, it succumbed to late-stage cancer with metastasis in the lymph nodes and adjacent organs as well as stomach obstruction by a primary tumour with origin in the stomach or pancreas,” said the statement.
A detailed examination of the bear, the statement said, revealed it was an old bear and not a full adult as previously thought.
“Cancer aside, the bear had probably reached the end of its life span,” SFC said.