KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 -- When the Malayan sun bear was unveiled as the official mascot for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, conservationist Wong Siew Te could barely contain his delight.

"Ini kali lah," he said with a smile.

"This is the moment when the world will finally get to know the sun bear."

To many, it's simply an adorable bear with a golden crescent across its chest.

But to Wong, founder of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in Sabah, the bear represents much more than a tourism icon - it is a symbol of Malaysia's rich biodiversity and a rallying call for wildlife conservation.

"It's the least known bear in the world," Wong said.

"They're native to Malaysia, but even here, in the forest, it's so difficult to see one....