Bouba’s education

When Bouba arrived at Nirvana Archipel Resort, she was only 2 months old. During the first weeks, Bouba is still a baby and her youth makes her totally innocent and harmless. Quickly in contact with animals and guests, everyone is having fun with her as an ordinary pet.

However, Bouba is no ordinary… it is a bear with a wild instinct that will reclaim its rights. The growth of a bear is fast and we have to realize that this “honeymoon” cannot be eternal. According to several experts, tame Bouba beyond six months would have been impossible. To get Bouba when she was 2 months was a chance because we could set up a taming program. Over the coming months, it is clear that Bouba will not be able to walk freely in the archipelago. However, we must be able to maintain this complicity, keep doing cuddles, allow guests to approach and get in her park, and above all, enable her to have fun as much as she wishes with Asiane, her best friend.

Bear is the hardest animal to tame… and for this animal, we are a prey. When you begin a taming process, it must be done at 100% and giving up is forbidden!

Humans are no longer a prey

To make her forget that we are a prey, we left Bouba feel and touch humans but also animals for 15 days. We also alternated periods in cage and free periods to maintain a close proximity with the external world. To feed Bouba requested a special attention to avoid aggressiveness. Bouba was afraid that we steal “her food” but a lot of hugs during her meal allow us now to feed her peacefully.

Parenting role

The other key aspect in the process is authority. We must act with her as a father or a mother with a child. Little slashing if she bites too strong, little scolding if she is too aggressive. One technique is to briefly shake her from left to right in grabbing the top of the head. This technique is used by the mother bear to scold her cub.

Taming a bear begins from the first seconds. Bouba now considers the 2 people who were involved in her education (Christophe & Dam) as her parents. She even waits that one of a parent be with her before diving into the pool. Yes, she needs her parents to feel safe.

Bouba’s education is a real success despite the difficult months we have been through (scratches and requested permanent presence). We have been able to maintain the relationship we wanted and we are very proud of the result. Bouba is unique in Laos and there are only about twenty bears in the world to benefit such attention and such quality of life.

We thank all those who provided valuable advice and support. No secret and no miraculous recipe for achieving such a result: a lot of sacrifice, authority, listening, patience, and finally, love and reckless passion for our child.