Bear of the Month, May 2009 – Mrua
Mrua was confiscated as a cub from a trader in the Kampong Chang Province of Cambodia and brought to the Phnom Tamao sanctuary in 2000. She spent her first few years living in a special area of the sanctuary as she had many food allergies. Mrua could only eat small amounts of food at a time and she had her own special diet, fed to her 6 times a day. Mrua gained a lot of much needed weight and strength with her special diet giving her the energy to recover.
Mrua is a very special bear who is extremely easy to tell apart from the others. She has very short little legs compared to her body so when she is walking around it is easy to spot her. Mrua is no longer on a special diet and eats everything the other bears do. In the morning the bears get a big bowl of rice porridge with eggs and dog biscuits (kibble) and in the afternoon they receive a wide variety of fruits, as well occasional fish, bones, and honey and daily enrichment items. Mrua’s favorites are coconuts and her rice porridge breakfast. Mrua’s favourite friend is Juana and they will wrestle together for hours, although she does not get along with everyone so well and there are a few bears who she refuses to eat her breakfast next to in the morning! Mrua is not that keen on climbing and her keeper says he often finds her making dens under rocks or nests on the ground when she wants to rest during the heat of the day.
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