KUALA LUMPUR – Thirteen-year-old Kayra Harun would bathe her pet Jiro every day, scrubbing his thick black fur with shampoo. When she orders him to turn so she could clean his face, ears, and paws, he does so obediently.
While it may seem like any other story of a teenage girl cleaning up her pet, Jiro is a Malayan sun bear who was much bigger than Kayra. But before Kayra's daily routine of washing up her pet bear in her family home in Tanjung Malim – Jiro's story begins in the forest of Gua Musang, Kelantan during a police operation.
Kayra's brother-in-law, the late Mohd Anuar Osman, was stationed at a police station in Gua Musang when Orang Asli settlers complained of bear tracks near their village. It prompted "Ops Beruang", a police operation to hunt the beast posing a threat to the settlement.
During the operation, Karya's brother-in-law spots two adult Malayan sun bears, and two of its offsprings. Although they were supposed to shoot and kill the animals, orders were given to fire a shot in the air prompting three of the animals to run.
Only one baby was left, which Anuar carried back to his police quarters.
There Kayra's brother, Khirrudin Harun who was living with Anuar, cared for Jiro.
He named the Malayan sun bear baby Jiro, due to the tan coloured circle located on his neck and chest which looked like the number zero.
Jiro adjusts to "suburban life'
According to Kayra, because Jiro was a protected species at the time, a licence was needed from Perhilitan which was renewed annually at a fee of RM35. Initially bottle-fed, as Jiro grew, his diet changed to rice and condensed milk.
Then in 1981, Anuar was transferred to Kuala Lumpur, and the decision to move Jiro to Harun Yahaya's house in Tanjung Malim, Perak – Kayra's father's home – was made. Fortunately, Jiro was able to adjust to suburban life well, given Kayra's home had 12 family members consisting of the parents and 10 siblings.
Kayra says Jiro was given the same amount of attention as her siblings, and probably a little more. "I had a feeling if Jiro has a headache, my father could easily get into his cage to give him a head massage.
"That was how much love there was between dad and Jiro. They had a special bond," Kayra said in her 17-part Facebook post.
Bear in the mirror
Jiro had a cage to himself, but he was never always caged. Kayra says it would be abuse if he was always caged, and always had playtime as well as opportunities to walk around the compound of the house. Her three male siblings, played games with Jiro, allowing him to chase them as they ran.
"Jiro chases them as if he's not playing. He'd grab them from the back and clamp on.
"However, Jiro wasn't rough with women. He'd just come over to the female siblings who are seated and ask for rubs," Kayra wrote.
But, it came to a point one day when Jiro's cage needed upgrades, and a contractor was hired.
The contractor who took the task specifically warned not to let Jiro anywhere near him.
Letting Jiro out of the cage to allow the contractor to work, Kayra told her bear: "Jiro, don't go near that man because he's working. You go play, and when your new cage is ready, you can go back in."
But of course, Jiro is a bear and a very curious creature. While the contractor was studying the plans for the cage upgrade, Kayra caught a glimpse of Jiro standing behind him. The man turned and was shocked to see a standing bear behind him.
Frantically screaming he ran to Karya and complained and she assured him it would never happen again. Once the renovation works were complete, Kayra realised she had to convince Jiro to return to his cage after she was done completing her chores.
"I then saw Jiro entering the house walking to one of the rooms and I was afraid he was going to climb on the bed.
"As soon as I reached the door of the room, I saw Jiro standing and looking at the dressing table mirror.
"Jiro let out an earth-shattering scream, ran out of the house into his cage, and closed the gate to his enclosure," Kayra added.
Kayra, could not control her laughter seeing a nervous Jiro pacing back and forth.
But while she served Jiro his lunch, she called him over to say: "Jiro, you and I aren't the same and we come from different worlds.
"But God destined us to meet. Even though you are different, we all love you like family."
Bear-ly able to care for Jiro anymore
It was 1986, Jiro was eight years old and Kayra just got her SPM results, signalling it was time for her to leave her nest. Kayra had to report to Sekolah Tun Fatimah, Johor Bahru for two years to complete her A-Levels.
The same year, a man named Tumar Said who was then Zoo Negara's curator advised Kayra's family to place Jiro in a zoo, where they can also find him a mate.
"My father was willing to give away Jiro as he was getting bigger and stronger.
"If anything were to happen, my father was old and not strong enough to protect his family," Kayra said.
There was an incident when Jiro had a piece of metal wire stuck in his throat, and Kayra's father was the only male adult at home.
Harun took the risk to enter Jiro's cage alone because he could no longer bear hearing Jiro's cries. He placed his hand into Jiro's mouth and pushed it down into his throat. Jiro's claws and teeth penetrated the flesh of Harun's arm.
Fortunately, the wire was successfully removed and that was the only injury Harun had. It was then Jiro's fate was sealed and Harun decided that the bear would be sent to the Ayer Keroh Zoo in Malacca.
The zoo was told of Jiro's fussy diet, and a condition was set to allow Jiro's family member to visit their bear and enter his enclosure. Jiro's transfer happened sometime during August 1986, which began with the arrival of a white lorry from the zoo.
But Jiro did not want to move from his cage to the transport vehicle.
"My father approached Jiro and pressed his lips on the bear's ear whispering something.
"Jiro walked from his cage to the transport lorry without any forcing," Kayra added.
That signalled the end of Jiro's journey as a suburban pet bear and began his life as an animal in the zoo.
Kayra's first visit to Air Keroh Zoo
After one month of Jiro being transferred, Kayra managed to organise a campus trip to Air Keroh Zoo.
"When I reached the zoo, I wasted no time asking a staff member where Jiro's cage was and ran towards the direction.
"While finding his enclosure, I kept asking if Jiro would remember the girl who washed him for six years.
"I recognised Jiro from the way he sat, and I entered the enclosure. I think the visitors were shocked to see what's happening.
"I shouted his name, he turned back, ran towards me, and offered his paws. I pulled his face close to mine and he started licking me," Kayra said.
She noticed Jiro's claws were not as clean as it was when she cared for him, and his fur no longer had its shine. When Kayra told Jiro it was time to leave, the bear curled up in a ball and cried.
Upon some comforting words, Jiro calmed down and Kayra left telling Jiro she still loves him and so does her whole family.
After some time, Kayra says the zoo conducted their own observations and came to a conclusion that Jiro was ready to mate and father some babies.
"Ever since Jiro was partnered I didn't have time to visit him because I was busy with studies.
"Also given Jiro was partnered, we had to distance ourselves from Jiro as his partner's temperament was unpredictable," Kayra added. She also mentioned an incident where one of her siblings visited Jiro, and they were furious to discover the zoo feeding Jiro spoilt tofus which had flies around it.
Kayra said several complaints were made to the zoo, but it proved futile as Jiro was no longer under the care of his previous family but Air Keroh Zoo.
Jiro leaves behind three offsprings
Kayra graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom somewhere in 1993.
Her father, the one who had a special bond with Jiro, passed away after battling cancer in 1994 at the age of 75.
"In 1995, I brought my children to the Air Keroh Zoo to introduce them to Jiro.
"I asked a zoo worker where was Jiro, and he told me he has died leaving behind three cubs," Kayra said. According to the zoo, Jiro passed away due to a digestive illness. But, until today, Kayra says her family is still unsure how Jiro met his end, or whether he was dead in the first place.
"There's no evidence, no death certificate or where Jiro was buried. Stories can be made up to cover up what happened. "I don't know if Jiro died, or he was ill, or whether he was sold illegally. Am I evil for having such thoughts?" Karya added.
If Jiro did indeed die because of a digestive illness, Kayra believes it is because the zoo did not follow the bear's diet as promised. "Jiro was always full when he lived with us, eating rice and condensed milk thrice.
"There wasn't a day when Jiro rejected food. In the zoo, they feed Jiro spoilt tofu? Disgusting," Kayra said. Although Jiro's death will remain a mystery to Kayra, the Malayan sun bear with a nearly human-like personality will forever live in Kayra and her family's memories.
Kayra shared Jiro and her family's story on a Facebook group called "Malaysiaku Dulu Dulu Official", November last year.
She gave The Vibes, permission to use her 17-part Facebook post, and tell the story of Jiro. – The Vibes, July 20, 2021
Some of the original posts can be found below:
Part 1
https://m.facebook.com/groups/570343363625940?view=permalink&id=661223204537955
Part 3
https://m.facebook.com/groups/570343363625940?view=permalink&id=661865214473754
Part 7
https://m.facebook.com/groups/570343363625940?view=permalink&id=663593537634255
Part 12
https://www.facebook.com/groups/malaysiakuduludulu/permalink/668052347188374/
Part 15
https://www.facebook.com/groups/malaysiakuduludulu/permalink/670723116921297/
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