Rantau, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Sun bears, or locally known as beruang madu (honey bear), frequently appear at the residential areas in Tapin District, especially in villages in the sub-district of Candi Laras Utara (CLU).
CLU Police Chief Iptu Ketut Sedemen said honey bears were seen repeatedly by villagers.
"Honey bears break into villages allegedly starving, because they have not enough food, then come to villages to find food," he said, Saturday.
Head of Teluk Haur Village Kurnain said honey bears appearance in the settlement was suspected because their habitat have been converted into oil palm plantation.
"Maybe it's because their habitat has been planted with oil palm," he said when confirmed on Saturday.
In the last one week, Kurnain said, bears were often seen at night.
"They entered the settlement almost every night. Last night (Friday June 30) there were three bears, adult and cub bear," he said.
This honey bears, he expounded, began to enter residential areas in Teluk Haur Village and Batalas Village since a month ago.
Their existance has long been konwn by the villagers. Some resident who looked for wood in the near forest around the village had seen herd of bears.
"It is possible that now their home is in the sago forest closert to the village," he said.
Oil palm workers, he said, also often hear honey bears roaring at night.
"There maybe more (honey bear) here," he said.
Considering the highly potential of risk and impact of forest and land fires currently, Head of Teluk Haur Village is increasingly worried that more and more honey bears to enter villages.
Since the past week, Kurnain acknowledged that these wild animals have made people restless. Some have left their houses to seek refuge at relatives homes.
"So far there have been no attack on residents. Even though it looks tame, at this time they are very disturbing residents," he pointed out.
Read also: A wild bear attacks rubber farmers in South Kalimantan's district
Last April, a husband and a wife, rubber farmers, were attacked by a wild bear in Kinarum Village, Upau Sub-district, Tabalong Regency, South Kalimantan.
Kurnain really hopes that the authorities will immediately take action so there is no conflict between human and bears.
Considering that this animal is protected by law because it is endangered, he appealed to residents not to trap or catch the bear in a dangerous way.
"Yesterday, there were residents who wanted to catch using noose, we have prevented it," he said.
The appeal was made, Kurnain explained, so that residents would not be subject to legal sanctions.
A temporary measures to get rid of these animal, people use load sounds to get them away from the village.
Read also: KPH Tabalong evacuates a rare baby sun bear
Read also: Sun bear, a new magnet to Sultan Adam Forest Park
