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The Sun Bear
The Sun Bear (Helarctos
malayanus) is the smallest bear in the world, but it is also considered
by many to be the fiercest. It is currently listed as endangered, mostly due
to hunting. In many countries, bile from the gallbladders of Sun Bears is praised
for its medicinal qualities, and their paws are used for soup. In some
countries, Sun Bears are kept as pets.
Sun bears are only found in southeast Asia. They are extremely good climbers, often found in
the treetops. Because of this, Sun Bears are known as “basindo nan tenggil”
in Malay, which translates to “he who likes to sit high.” There is evidence
to suggest that the bears spend a great deal of time in the treetops, even
sleeping up high in the trees. They are nocturnal, resting and enjoying the
sunlight during the day, and do not hibernate as other bears do and are
active all year. As not much study has been done on these bears, no one is
certain how many actually still exist in the wild.
The Sun Bear’s small size, with the males only growing to reach about 145 pounds (65 kg) and the
females only reaching 60 pounds (30 kg), makes them very distinctive. They
have dark brown to black fur, which is very thick, and their skin is actually
loose, which allows them to turn and bite when attacked and held by a
predator. The bear’s muzzle is very short and is lighter than the rest of
the fur, sometimes ranging to a light orange color. Their most distinctive
feature is the crescent-shaped patch of fur on the chest that ranges from white
to golden yellow. They have very long claws, which help them to climb trees.
At sometimes up to 6 inches (15 cm), these claws are also used to defend
against the bear’s natural predators.
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Did You Know: The Sun Bear is named for the
patch of fur on their chests which was once thought to resemble a rising or
setting sun?
Sun Bears are complete
omnivores. They have very long tongues that allow them to get to hard to
reach honey and insects. They have been known to eat termites, birds, small
animals, honey, and fruit, and, as their habitats decline and food become
scarce, it is not unusual for a wild Sun Bear to raid commercial crops, such
as oil palms.
Due to their decreased numbers and lack of information, not much is known about their breeding and
reproductive patterns, unfortunately. It seems that they reach full sexual maturity
at about three years in the female and four years in the male. There are
many differing reports as to the gestational period for the Sun Bear. Nothing
is known about their reproductive habits in the wild, but, in captivity, most
Sun Bears give birth after a length of only 95-96 days. There doesn’t appear
to be a peak mating season, as these bears seem to give birth throughout the
year. They usually bear litters of two or three cubs, and these cubs are
nursed until about 18 months of age, but they tend to stick with their
mothers until they are fully mature and ready to mate.
Further
Information on the Sun Bear:
E-mail to add
your Sun Bear related website. |
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Bibliography:
Charles Joseph Jonkel. Sun Bear. Encarta Encyclopedia, © 2000.
Honolulu Zoo. Sun Bear. Accessed August 11, 2004 at
http://www.honoluluzoo.org/sun_bear.htm.
Sun Bear. Accessed August 11, 2004 at http://www.bearbiology.com/sudesc.html.
Malayan Sun Bear. Accessed August 11, 2004 at http://www.bears.org/animals/sun/.
Animal Fact Sheets. Accessed August 11, 2004 at http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/sun_bear/sbear.htm. |
