Dear sun bear,
You will probably wonder who I am, but I designed your new home. That is also the reason why I am writing you this letter. I wondered how you feel? Do you like it a bit in this new environment?
Can you get used to the urban bustle of Artis? The crowds around you, the many sounds, the Dutch temperatures?
I recently went to see you and tried to get answers to my questions. I saw you busy playing in the climbing trees, with your inmates. You seemed to be fine, is that right? You ran into the building at one point, so I was hoping to meet you there one-on-one.
When I got downstairs, there were already many people, old and young, in front of the glass and unfortunately I could not see you properly. Luckily, there was still space on the top deck to watch you from above, so I walked there. When I arrived at the top I saw that you had climbed the tree and that you looked me straight in the eyes for a moment.
I still couldn’t figure out what your feeling was. Were you happy? Do you like how many people can look at you? Do you have enough privacy? Or do people stop noticing at some point? Do you have enough space to climb or to find your food? Do you have enough enrichments? These questions sang through my mind when I saw you. Meanwhile, you were distracted by one of the other bears and you disappeared back to the outside area together.
I decided to go home to write this letter to you. At such moments, you start thinking about how you did things, and whether you did it right or wrong. Have I put you in the first place? Have I thought enough about what you actually want in your own space, so that you can feel at home? Do you even know how your own species live in the wild? Wouldn’t you like to live there too? Shall I try to arrange for you to be released into there?
That could really be a victory, right?
I hope to see you again sun bear.
All the best.
Martin van der Vijver
You will probably wonder who I am, but I designed your new home. That is also the reason why I am writing you this letter. I wondered how you feel? Do you like it a bit in this new environment?
Can you get used to the urban bustle of Artis? The crowds around you, the many sounds, the Dutch temperatures?
I recently went to see you and tried to get answers to my questions. I saw you busy playing in the climbing trees, with your inmates. You seemed to be fine, is that right? You ran into the building at one point, so I was hoping to meet you there one-on-one.
When I got downstairs, there were already many people, old and young, in front of the glass and unfortunately I could not see you properly. Luckily, there was still space on the top deck to watch you from above, so I walked there. When I arrived at the top I saw that you had climbed the tree and that you looked me straight in the eyes for a moment.
I still couldn’t figure out what your feeling was. Were you happy? Do you like how many people can look at you? Do you have enough privacy? Or do people stop noticing at some point? Do you have enough space to climb or to find your food? Do you have enough enrichments? These questions sang through my mind when I saw you. Meanwhile, you were distracted by one of the other bears and you disappeared back to the outside area together.
I decided to go home to write this letter to you. At such moments, you start thinking about how you did things, and whether you did it right or wrong. Have I put you in the first place? Have I thought enough about what you actually want in your own space, so that you can feel at home? Do you even know how your own species live in the wild? Wouldn’t you like to live there too? Shall I try to arrange for you to be released into there?
That could really be a victory, right?
I hope to see you again sun bear.
All the best.
Martin van der Vijver
