InfoSAWIT, SAMPIT – A wild animal attack has once again shocked the Kotawaringin Timur (Kotim) Regency in Central Kalimantan. This time, two palm oil plantation workers in Mentaya Hulu were victims of a sun bear attack while working in the field.
“We received reports of a sun bear attack. The victims are two employees of a palm oil plantation company in Mentaya Hulu,” said Muriansyah, Commander of the Sampit Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), as reported by InfoSAWIT from Antara on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
This incident serves as a reminder that the threat of wild animals in Kotim does not only come from water sources, such as crocodile attacks previously reported in Mentaya Hilir Utara, but also from land, as seen in this recent case.
According to Muriansyah, the incident occurred on Wednesday, July 16, but was only reported to BKSDA two days later, on Friday, July 18. The two victims were a harvester and a fruit loader. The incident began when the harvester placed a harvesting tool (egrek) on a palm frond, but the wind knocked the tool down, hitting a pile of leaves below the tree.
Unexpectedly, a sun bear that was resting under the pile of leaves was startled and felt threatened, leading the protected animal to attack the nearby workers.
“Another worker, who was not far from the location, the fruit loader, heard the cries for help and rushed to assist. However, he was also attacked,” Muriansyah explained.
Fortunately, both victims were rescued by other colleagues. Although they sustained injuries to their arms and legs, they are currently receiving treatment at the company clinic and are recovering in the staff mess.
BKSDA suspects that the bear was disturbed while sleeping or possibly protecting its cub, as workers had previously reported seeing a bear cub in the area. Sun bears, which are nocturnal animals, are also known to be more aggressive when they feel their nests are threatened.
“We suspect that the pile of leaves was the bear's nesting site. However, we will conduct a field check to confirm whether the bear is nesting or just resting temporarily,” Muriansyah stated.
In response to the report, BKSDA Sampit plans to set up a bear trap previously used in Makarti Jaya Village, Pulau Hanaut District. However, monitoring will first be conducted by the company to ensure the bear's presence in the area.
“We request that monitoring be carried out with safety in mind, preferably using vehicles and making noise, as bears tend to avoid disturbances,” he advised.
If monitoring confirms the presence of sun bears in the area, BKSDA will set traps. However, if no signs of the animals are found, further observation will be conducted, and warning banners will be installed to alert the public and workers to exercise caution.
“The banners will be coordinated with the company to ensure that all parties, including outsiders entering the plantation area, such as fishermen, can be more vigilant,” Muriansyah explained.
He also urged companies in Kotim to report immediately if they encounter protected wildlife in their Business Use Rights (HGU) areas. This step is crucial for BKSDA to determine whether the animals are merely passing through or residing in the location, as well as to implement appropriate mitigation measures.
It is worth noting that reports of bear sightings in Kotim are relatively frequent. Most recently, on Saturday, July 19, BKSDA also received reports of bear tracks in Bapanggang Raya Village, Mentawa Baru Ketapang District, where several palm trees owned by residents were found damaged.
“Our team has already visited the location on Sunday, July 20, and set up a barrel trap. We also urge residents to remain vigilant and report any signs of bear presence,” Muriansyah concluded. (T2)
