Sun bears
are one of the world’s rarest species of bear and can be found in declining populations
in Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and
Borneo. However, the species is now thought to be extinct in Singapore and
Yunnan, where they were once found in large numbers, and is on the edge of
extinction in Bangladesh.
A combination of large-scale deforestation, legal and illegal logging and the
conversion of natural forests to oil palm plantations has led to sun bears
being classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species is also illegally exploited for its
body parts, which are used in traditional Asian medicines – although scientific
evidence has shown they have no medicinal value.
Malayan sun bear facts
- Scientific name: Helarctos malayanus
- Sun bears are the smallest of the world’s eight
living species of bear
- Sun bears get their iconic name from the yellow
or orange crescent marking on their chest, which legend says resembles the
rising or setting sun. The species is also known as the ‘honey bear’ due to its
love for honey - which it extracts by using its famously long tongue
- The Malay name for the tree-loving sun bear mean “he who
likes to sit high”
- Sun bears use their long tongue to eat termites
and ants, beetle larvae, bee larvae, honey and a large variety of fruit
species, especially figs
- They have powerful jaws that can tear open trees
in search of insects to eat
- Their short black fur helps then to keep cool in
hot climates
- They have big paws with large claws and hairless
soles to help them climb