Animals On Earth: India, Asia, China, Hawaii, And Madagascar

Sun Bear

The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a species in the family Ursidae occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear species

Sun bears are named for the golden patches of fur on their chests, which some people say resemble a rising sun. While their tongues may be extra-big, sun bears are actually the smallest bear species. Males grow about 5 feet long and weigh up to 150 pounds—that's about half the size of an adult American black bear.

Sun bears are shy and reclusive animals, and usually do not attack humans unless provoked to do so, or if they are injured or with their cubs; their timid nature led these bears to be often tamed and kept as pets in the past.

We conclude that tigers and leopards, but not dholes, are potentially important predators of sun bears on mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra. Both large felids exhibit opportunistic diets with a wide range of prey sizes (Hayward et al.

Sun bears chow down insects, leaves, lizards, and berries. But the sun bear's favorite snack is honey. To get the treat, they rip open beehives with their sharp claws. Then the bears use their super long tongues to extract the honey inside, often gobbling up bees with the sticky sweet.