Hey some of you who follow my Instagram or Facebook would have noticed that I was in Sabah recently. I was privileged to be one of the bloggers to join 1 Utama Feed The Fish Go Green Campaign Media Familiarization Trip to Sandakan, Sabah.
1 Utama Shopping Mall is the 1st Eco-Mall in Malaysia that embraced social sustainability since its early beginning. Have you visited their award winning Rainforest, it’s a flourishing tropical oasis built right in the middle of the busy shopping centre.
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| Feed-The-Fish Charity Kiosk @ Lower Ground Floor Rainforest vending machine selling packages of fish food at RM1 |
It started with the ‘Go Green’ campaigns in 2004 and 1Utama’s
Feed-The-Fish Charity Campaign was introduced. There are over 3,000 koi fishes
reside here, swimming through interconnected ponds across two floors at the
Rainforest. 1 Utama has prepared a vending machine for packages of fish food for
sale available daily at the Feed-The-Fish kiosk at Lower Ground Floor Rainforest.
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| 1 Utama Rainforest |
Shoppers can buy the fish food for RM1.00 per container to feed the fishes for
a good cause. 100% of sales proceeds are then donated to a charitable
organization. This attracts many family and children to the Rainforest beside
enjoying the greenery and cool environment at the same time they can do some
good deeds also.
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| Here we are! at the Observation Deck @ Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre |
This year, 1 Utama has nominated NGO Bornean Sun Bear ConservationCentre (BSBCC) in Sabah as its beneficiary. So here we are.
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| Mr Wong Siew Te, the founder of Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre |
The Founder of Bornean
Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Wong Siew Te gave us a details explanation about
the Sun Bear, how he started and also the mission of this centre.
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| 1 Utama Feed The Fish Go Green Project Cheque Presentation Ceremony to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre |
The collection from the Feed The Fish Go Green Project together
with the donation from 1 Utama amounted to RM12,000. 1 Utama’s A&P General
Manager Patrick So handed the cheque to BSBCC’s CEO and Founder Wong Siew Te
during the presentation ceremony on 26 August 2015 in Sandakan, Sabah.
Check out the video and take a closer look at the Sun Bear
After that we tour around and went to the observation deck to take a closer look at the Sun Bear aka Honey Bear.
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| Sun Bear aka Honey Bear, the smallest bear in the world |
It is the smallest bear in the world and every Sun Bear has a completely unique chest mark. They has large, sickle shaped claws that enable them to grip onto trees and also for digging and ripping apart decayed wood to reach termites, ants and beetles grubs.
It’s sad that Sun Bears are in danger from threats of habitat loss
through deforestation and poaching. There is an urgent need to conserve this protected
species. 1 Utama has educational posters and videos of this project so that
more of shoppers are aware of their plight and also the nature.
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| Buah Tarap |
After the Sun Bear Conservation Centre we had lunch at the Banana Café
in Sepilok Jungle Resort. I tried this new fruit called Tarap; the taste and
texture is like in between chempedak and nangka and the skin or shell is like
durian. Well quite like it.
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| At Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre |
Then we proceed to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre,
the place that we get to see the orang utan in close proximity. It was a day
full of activities and nature. Thanks to 1 Utama for bridging me closer to the
nature and cultivate the Go Green Lifestyles.
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| Jambatan 5 @ Kampung Sim-Sim, Sandakan, Sabah |
Today, more than 100 species of forest trees is located in the Rainforest, creating a microclimate rainforest habitat incorporates sights such as a giant freshwater fish aquarium, koi ponds, trickling waterfall and overhead suspension bridge. Besides the Rainforest, 1 Utama has also developed South East Asia’s largest rooftop garden aptly named the Secret Garden, which houses over 500 species of tropical and temperate plants.
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| Secret Garden @ 1 Utama Shopping Mall |
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| Seafood Bak Kut Teh @ Good Taste, Sandakan Town |
That’s about it I will share more about the my Sandakan Trip
especially the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, Kampung Sim-Sim and
also my mini food trail when I was there. So do keep an eye. Till then tata…
Wow, this article makes me believe that it only starts with ONE. Such a small project that even just one person decides to pursue... and then BOOM... it comes out to something bigger. I applaud you for what you are doing.
ReplyDeleteMy husband would love the Seafood Bak Kut Teh! Great campaign, I hope it gets the support it deserves.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such an amazing animal shelter development! We need more places like this in the Philippines! A place where wildlife can truly be safe :D
ReplyDeleteI have seen sunbear in zoos. I did not know it was already endangered. I do not really know why people do awful activities like deforestation and poaching. They only see nature as a source of money, not beauty.
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ReplyDeleteThe hokey bear looks so cute!! Looks like you had a lot of fun seeing all those animals. I do hope the money will be used wisely for their benefit.
ReplyDeleteAww I always love a good trip to the zoo or anywhere that brings me closer to the animals. The sun bear looks so adorable, I've actually never seen one in the flesh
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice cause. You must have had a lot of fun during this trip! The food looks great too.
ReplyDeleteYou had a feast! I'm so envious that you got to see a sun bear and orang utan so up close!
ReplyDeletelooks like you had a great time in sabbah. thosw fruits you had, ww also have it here. we called it lanzones the small whitish fruit and rambutan to that red spiky fruit
ReplyDeleteoh wow different! i would love to visit an eco mall. its quirky
ReplyDeleteI was looking forward for photos of you feeding the fish but I ended up with fish on the table ready to be feasted on. Poor fish. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice initiative to save the Sun Bear. I hope this goes along way in protecting them.
ReplyDeletethe sun bears are cute! and that orang utan is also adorable! i'll love to visit sabah one day, but currently can't get a travel buddy. most of my friends think sabah is not safe enough.... :(
ReplyDeleteThis is a great advocacy to save endangered animals like the Sun Bear. I hope more campaign like this will come to save other endangered animals as well as floras.
ReplyDeleteThe thousands of koi fish look really wonderful and I know that this kind of fish is quite rare that's why they have a high value. I haven't visited this rainforest before. Seeing the honey bear upclose seems like a unique experience. What does it eat?
ReplyDeleteHow big is the average sun bear? They look so cute! I do hope Utama keeps on donating to the cause so sun bears don't go extinct. :)
ReplyDeleteWow.. You are having a gala time enjoying there and these sunbears are totally adorable.
ReplyDeleteThe sun bear is just so adorable. I am happy to see that Utama had such a campaign and chose the Sun Bear Conservation Centre as the beneficiary. It's sad to see animals being unable to protect themselves from the dangers of urbanisation and we humans should do everything we can to conserve their habitats!
ReplyDeleteFirst time to actually hear about an Eco-Mall so I guess we still don't have something like that in our country. The sun bear looks like our Tarsier. but ors is waaaaaaay smaller and it's not a bear. It just looks a bit like it. :p
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