Sun Bear

Sun Bears are the smallest of the bear species and are native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.

Name

Sun bears get their name from the distinctive markings on their chest and neck. They have a crescent/semi-circle of cream or orange fur that stands out against the rest of their black fur.

They are also sometimes called a honey bear because this type of bear loves to eat honeycombs.

Characteristics

At only 1.4 metres long and a maximum weight of 65 kilograms, the sun bear is the smallest bear. Like most bears, they still have large paws and small round ears. They have very prominent strong claws that are long and curved.

Sun bears also have very long tongues, 25cm long, used for feeding and big strong canines.

Behaviour

The sun bear spends most of it’s time living in the trees. This is where the claws come in, they are perfect for climbing. They will climb to the top of a tree to sunbathe.

Sun bears are also excellent swimmers and very intelligent, they have facial expressions like primates and can open puzzles to get to food.

Food

Sun bears are omnivorous, which means they eat plants and animals, just like humans. They love fruit and honey but also use their long tongue to eat ants, termites, bees, and other bugs. They will occasionally eat lizards, birds, and different eggs too.

Conservation

Sun bears are categorised as threatened, which means scientists are concerned about their numbers. In 30-years the population of sun bears has fallen by 35{6c082c8494c21a03d17f10d863ee8b06d7dc461388e432433da70d4d6afda271} and could fall a lot more if we don’t put measures in place.

The reason for their decline is deforestation, their habitat is being destroyed to put up buildings and farms. There have also been severe forest fires and droughts.

Sun bears are protected from hunting but some people still ignore this.