Sun bear

The sun bear is the smallest bear in the world. It lives in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, from northeast India through Thailand and Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo. It stands nearly 70 centimetres at the shoulder and weighs about 25 to 65 kilograms, which is closer to a big dog than to a grizzly.

Its short black fur has a pale orange or cream crescent on the chest that people say looks like a rising sun, and that is how it got its name. It is the most tree-loving of all bears, with strongly curved claws, and it uses a very long tongue to lick honey and insects out of nests. Forest loss and poaching have cut its numbers by about a third since the 1990s, and it is listed as vulnerable.

Climbing and eating

Sun bears climb well and often sunbathe or sleep in trees, 2 to 7 metres above the ground. They eat ants, termites, beetles, bees and honey, plus fruit and seeds, and sometimes birds or small deer. Because food is available all year in the tropics, they do not hibernate. In Malay and Indonesian they are called beruang madu, which means honey bear.

Family life and threats

A mother has one or two cubs, and they stay with her for about three years. Sun bears usually live alone. They are in trouble because rainforests are cleared for farms and plantations, they are hunted for food and the wildlife trade, and they sometimes get into conflict with people when they enter farmland. Their numbers have fallen by an estimated 35 percent since the 1990s.

On the globe

On the toy globe the sun bear lives in the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Look for the pale crescent on its chest.