Their homelands are being lost rapidly to deforestation, poachers hunt them mercilessly for body parts and fur, and some farmers kill them on site because they often eat crops such as oil palm, coconuts, and bananas.
Conservationīecause of their remote habitat and shy personality, gathering conservation data on sun bears is difficult, but scientists fear the worst. Cubs can move about after two months and are weaned by four months, but they remain with their mothers for two years or more. Mothers have actually been observed cradling a cub in their arms while walking on their hind legs, a rare trait among bears. Mother bears, called sows, make ground nests and give birth to one or two blind, helpless babies that weigh about 11 ounces. Little is known about the social life of these bears, but there is some evidence that suggests they may be monogamous. They also have an almost comically long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, “honey bear.” Reproduction They have an excellent sense of smell and extremely long claws, exceeding four inches in length, which they use to rip open trees and termite nests. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. Black bears are not classified as true hibernators but their body temperature is lowered and heart rate slowed during winter denning. They have even been observed making sleeping platforms high above the ground out of branches and leaves. Males, slightly larger than females, are about 5 feet in length and weigh up to 150 pounds, a stature which suits their arboreal lifestyle and allows them to move easily through the trees. Sun bears grow to only about half the size of an American black bear. The sun bear is mostly diurnal, particularly the male members of the species. They have a stocky, muscular build, small ears, and a short muzzle, which has earned them the nickname “dog bear.” Their sleek, black coat is short to avoid overheating in the tropical weather but thick and coarse to provide protection from twigs, branches, and rain. Young brown bears may have exhibit diurnal behavior.
ARE BEARS NOCTURNAL PATCH
Characteristicsįound from southern China to eastern India and as far south as Indonesia, sun bears, also called Malayan sun bears, take their name from the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest, which legend says represents the rising sun. They often sleep in caves and near rivers when available. The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia. These bears are unusual because they do not hibernate like some bears.
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