One of the 8 bears on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Ursidae
Helarctos malayanus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
It is the smallest and most arboreal bear in the world, with a tongue up to 46 cm long, specialised for extracting honey and insects from trunks and hives.
Weight
27 kg – 65 kg
Size
1.2 m – 1.5 m
Life expectancy
20 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info) · Mammalian Species (Helarctos malayanus monograph) · Animal Diversity Web · Animalia.bio · PBS Nature · Storm Crow Survival · The Animal Facts · IABRM
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 15.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Sun Bear — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The sun bear is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 8 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about sun bear.
