Sun Bear

Sun Bear Facts

Description

The smallest bear in the world is known as the Sun Bear. A full grown male may tip the scales at barely 100 pounds.

They have dark black fur that is thick in spite of the hot temperatures. The thickness of it helps to protect them from insects and dirt.  They have an extremely long tongue too which helps them with eating honey.

Distribution

This particular species of bear loves the warmer climates. They are found in the tropical areas where the temperatures are from 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit all year long. They also love areas where there is lots of annual rainfall.

Some of the regions where the Sun Bear lives include Cambodia, Malaysia, Burma, and Bangladesh. Small numbers of them also live in Vietnam, and Borneo. The ranges for them has been drastically reduced due to the destruction of the forest areas.

Behavior

Many people refer to the Sun Bear as the Honey Bear. This is due to the vast amount of it that they will consume. They are good at climbing trees to get to the honey, and will spend lots of time there.

Their name comes from the fact that they will lay in the warm sun all day long relaxing and eating. They love to soak up the rays that come from the sunlight. They are very active at night though. This is when they do most of their eating and exploring.

There isn’t very much information about the Sun Bear due to the fact that it hasn’t been studied in detail. It is believed to be one of the most aggressive types of bears in the world though. They don’t hibernate though as the temperatures are warm enough for them to find food all year long.

Diet /Feeding

In the particular area where the Sun Bears live, they are able to consume fruits and nuts all year long. These items make up a very large part of their diet. However, they are willing to eat just about anything that comes along. Some other dietary items include lizards, rodents, and eggs.

Sun Bears love honey and they will consume very large amounts of it whenever they can. However, it is believed that they consume this honey in addition to their regular diet instead of as a way to replace certain things. They will stick their long tongues into the beehive and consume it even if doing so is creating made bees around them.

Reproduction

For the Sun Bear, reproduction can occur at any time of the year. The cubs are often born in a well hidden part of the forest for their own protection. It is common for two at a time to be born. They will be cared for by their mother until about a year of age before going on their own. During that period of time they will learn how to climb trees and to find food.

The male stays with the female after conception and helps to find food for her as well as a place for the young to be born. In most instances he will also help with caring for the young. When they leave to make their own lives, the adult male and female may mate again with each other or go their separate ways.

Conservation

The lack of solid information about the needs of the Sun Bear make it virtually impossible to offer conservation efforts for them. One area that they do pursue is protecting the natural environment of these bears. Logging efforts continue to decrease the range that they have to look for shelter and for food.

Human interaction

In many areas where the Sun Bears live it is very poor economically. It is common for villagers to hunt them to feed their families. They also will capture them to sell to various entities and even to individuals as pests. Villagers are also known to get paid for guided hunts when a group of hunters is after the trophy of a Sun Bear.