Sun bear
I.U.C.N status
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Identity card
Insects, honey, fruit, small rodents, birds, lizards...
Did you know?
Also nicknamed the “honey bear” for its pronounced taste for honey, the sun bear is a nocturnal animal that spends a good part of the day resting on a branch, basking in the sun’s rays, hence its other name, “sun bear”. Equipped with a powerful jaw, it is capable of tearing apart tree trunks to find insects, and its large paws with imposing claws and bare pads allow it to climb trees with ease.
Threats and conservation
The sun bear, one of the rarest, is seeing its population decline rapidly due to deforestation and hunting. The destruction of its habitat for coffee, rubber and oil palm plantations isolates it in small areas, often insufficient for its needs, which are still poorly understood. Poachers take advantage of this to capture it, particularly to supply bear farms, where it is exploited for its bile. Organisations such as Free The Bears work to save them, offer them a sanctuary, and rehabilitate them when possible.
