The Malayan sun bear is found primarily in south-east Asia and its habitat extends to Borneo, Java, Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma). The Malayan sun bear lives in forested areas like tropical rainforests. The Malayan sun bear is the smallest of the great bears. They have a somewhat dog-like, relatively small and flat head with a short, cream-coloured snout. They have an extremely long tongue. On the chest they have a yellow-cream coloured crescent-shaped mark. The short, sleek fur is black and the ears are small and round.

Diet
The Malayan sun bear eats primarily fruits and vegetables, such as young tips of palm trees as well as the sprouts. Their diet also includes honey, nectar from flowers, roots, berries and seeds. They also eat many insects like ants and termites. The Malayan sun bear has an extremely long tongue which he uses to extract food. In addition, they also eat some vertebrates like small mammals and birds.

Hibernation
The Malayan sun bear does not hibernate.

Social behaviour
The Malayan sun bear is usually a solitary creature, but occasionally also lives in a small group. They spend most of the day sleeping in trees where they build their nests. At night they climb around in the treetops looking for food.

Status
The Malayan sun bear is hunted for their gall bladder and paws which can fetch a lot of money due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, their habitat is becoming ever more restricted which forces bears to seek food closer and closer to areas inhabited by humans (agriculture). The IUCN-status of the Malayan sun bear is listed as ‘Vulnerable’.

Factsheet Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus)