The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a bear species in the family Ursidae found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the only species in the genus Helarctos and the smallest bear species, standing nearly at the shoulder and weighing . It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small, rounded ears and a short snout. The fur is generally short and jet black, but can vary from grey to red. The sun bear gets its name from its characteristic orange to cream-coloured chest patch.

The sun bear's unique morphology with inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, powerful forelimbs with large claws suggests adaptations for climbing, and it is an excellent climber and the most arboreal of all bears. It sunbathes or sleeps in trees above the ground. It is mainly active during the day, though nocturnality might be more common in areas frequented by humans. It tends to remain solitary, but sometimes occur in pairs such as a mother and her cub. It does not hibernate, possibly because food resources are available the whole year throughout its range. It is an omnivore, and its diet includes ants, bees, beetles, honey, termites, and plant material such as seeds and several kinds of fruits; vertebrates such as birds and deer are also eaten occasionally. It breeds throughout the year; individuals become sexually mature at two to four years of age. Litters comprise one or two cubs that remain with their mother for around three years.

The range of the sun bear is bounded by Northeast India to the north then south to southeast through Bangladesh, mainland Southeast Asia, Brunei and Indonesia. These bears are threatened by heavy deforestation and poaching for food and the wildlife trade. They are also harmed in conflicts with humans when they enter farmlands, plantations, and orchards. The global population is estimated to have declined by 35% since the 1990s. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Etymology

The generic name Helarctos comes from two Greek words: (, related to the sun) and (, bear). Another name is "honey bear", in Malay and Indonesian, in reference to its habit of feeding on honey from honeycombs.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The scientific name Ursus malayanus was proposed by Stamford Raffles in 1821 when he first described a sun bear from Sumatra. In 1825, Thomas Horsfield placed the species in a genus of its own, Helarctos, when describing a sun bear from Borneo.

Subspecies and distribution

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|Malayan sun bear (H. m. malayanus)

|The Malayan sun bear occurs in mainland Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Sumatra.

|Smallest member of the bear family.

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|Bornean sun bear (H. m. euryspilus)

|The Bornean sun bear occurs only in Borneo.

|Its skull is smaller than that of the Malayan sun bear.

|}

H. annamiticus, described by Pierre Marie Heude in 1901 from Annam, is not considered a distinct species, but is subordinated as a junior synonym to H. m. malayanus. Genetic differences between the two subspecies are obscure and some consider the species monotypic. Noting the production of fertile hybrids between sun bears and sloth bears (Melursus ursinus), it was proposed that Helarctos be treated as a synonym of Melursus. However, studies differed on whether the two species were closely related. The brown bear/polar bear genetic lineage was estimated to have genetically diverged from the two black bears/sun bear lineage around (mya); the sun bear appears to have diverged from the two black bears between 6.26 and 5.09 mya. and 5.89–3.51 mya.

Nuclear gene sequencing of bear species revealed that the sloth bear and the sun bear were the first Ursinae bears that radiated and are not included in the monophyletic Ursus group; moreover, all relationships between the bears were well resolved.

Characteristics

thumb|Skull, showing short [[snout]]

The sun bear is named so for its characteristic orange- to cream-coloured, crescent-like chest patch.

It is the smallest of all bear species. It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small rounded ears and a short snout. The head-and-body length is between , and the shoulder height is nearly . Males tend to be larger than females by roughly 10-20%. Adults weigh . The snout is grey, silver, or orange. The fur is generally jet black, but can vary from grey to red. The hair is silky and fine, and is the shortest of all bear species, suiting its hot tropical habitat. The edges of the paws are tan or brown, and the soles are fur-less, which possibly is an adaptation for climbing trees. The claws are sickle-shaped; the front claws are long and heavy. The tail is long. The sympatric Asian black bear has cream-coloured chest markings of a similar shape as those of sun bears and different claw markings.

During feeding, the sun bear can extend its exceptionally long tongue to extract insects and honey. The teeth are very large, especially the canines, and the bite force quotient is high relative to its body size for reasons not well understood; a possible explanation could be its frequent opening of tropical hardwood trees with its powerful jaws and claws in pursuit of insects, larvae, or honey. The bite force is high for its size: a sun bear weighing bites with a maximum force of 1907.3–2020.6 Newtons on the rear molar. The head is large, broad and heavy in proportion to the body, but the ears are proportionately smaller; the palate is wide in proportion to the skull. It is extinct in Singapore. However, sun bears have been seen in farmlands, plantations and orchards, where they may be considered vermin. A survey in Lower Kinabatangan Segama Wetlands showed that sun bears were feared but were not common in oil palm plantations; Bornean bearded pigs, elephants and macaques were far more damaging to crops.

Fossil remains suggest its occurrence farther north during the Pleistocene; it may have occurred as far south as Java in the middle to Late Pleistocene. Fossils also known from the Middle Pleistocene of Thailand along with Stegodon, gaur, wild water buffalo, and other living and extinct mammals. Today, it is locally extinct in the majority of its erstwhile range, especially in Thailand; populations are declining in most of the range countries. It disappeared from Singapore during the 1800s and 1900s, possibly due to extensive deforestation. Sun bear populations appear to decrease in size northward from Sundaland, and numbers are especially low in the northern and western extremes of the range. This has possibly been the case since prehistoric times, and is not a result of human interference.

Ecology and behaviour

thumb|Sun bears are among the most [[Arboreal locomotion|arboreal of bears.]]

The sun bear leads the most arboreal lifestyle among all bears.

It is an excellent climber; it sunbathes or sleeps in trees above the ground. Bedding sites consist mainly of fallen hollow logs, but they also rest in standing trees with cavities, in cavities underneath fallen logs or tree roots, and in tree branches high above the ground. It is also an efficient swimmer. It is noted for its intelligence; a captive bear observed sugar being stored in a cupboard locked by a key, and later used its claw to open the lock.

The sun bear has home ranges of varying sizes in different areas, ranging from in Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia; and in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in Sabah.

The tiger is its major predator; dholes and leopards have also been recorded preying on sun bears, but cases are relatively few. In one incident, a tiger-sun bear interaction resulted in a prolonged altercation and in the death of both animals. In another incident, a wild female sun bear was swallowed by a large reticulated python in East Kalimantan.

Sun bears 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. Sun bears are fierce when surprised in the forest.

Diet

thumb|upright|Sun bears have a broad, omnivorous diet, including plants.

The sun bear is an omnivore with a broad diet, such as ants, bees, beetles, honey, termites, and plant material such as seeds and several kinds of fruits. Sun bear scat collected in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in Sabah also contained remains of turtles and other reptiles, and of figs and other fruits. Oil palms are nutritious but not enough for subsistence. It forages mostly at night. It tears open hollow trees with its long, sharp claws and teeth in search of wild bees and honey. It breaks termite mounds and quickly licks and sucks the contents, holding pieces of the broken mound with its front paws. Sun bears eat the centre of coconut palms, and crush oil-rich seeds such as acorns. Oestrus lasts five to seven days. Sun bears become sexually mature at two to four years of age. A 2007 study in East Borneo recorded severe loss of habitat and food resources due to droughts and forest fires brought about by the El Niño.

On the island of Borneo sun bears were found to be hunted by pythons in their most vulnerable state. Pythons are successfully able to attack by taking advantage of the night time when the sun bears are sleeping or nursing their cub. In Southeast Asia, a male leopard (Panthera pardus) has been photographed with a sun bear cub being held by the throat. This reported case has been reported to be the second confirmed predator as of 2019. In 2018 and 2019, 128 TCM outlets in 24 locations across Sabah and Sarawak were surveyed and bear parts and derivatives were recorded for sale in 25% of the outlets surveyed, many of which would have been derived from locally sourced sun bears. Sun bears were killed by shooting or administering poison to protect coconut and snakefruit plantations in east Kalimantan. A report published by TRAFFIC in 2011 showed that sun bears, along with Asian black bears and brown bears, are specifically targeted for the bear bile trade in Southeast Asia, and are kept in bear farms in Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Poaching is common in several countries in the region.

Hunting pressure is rising even in some protected areas; in the Nam Ha National Protected Area in Laos, hunter snares have been found that specifically target bears. A study in Nagaland (northeastern India) recorded a sparse distribution of sun bears in Fakim and Ntangki National Parks, and reported extensive illegal hunting for food and trade in bear parts. Protective laws have shown little success in controlling these threats, especially due to poor execution and high potential for gains by the trade.

In captivity

The Malayan sun bear is part of an international captive-breeding program and a Species Survival Plan under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since late 1994. Since that same year, the European breed registry for the sun bear is kept in the Cologne Zoological Garden, Germany.

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, founded in 2008, aims to work for the welfare of sun bears rescued from poor conditions in captivity and spread awareness about their conservation.

Several sanctuaries in Southeast Asia aim to reduce the illegal trade in sun bears and offer opportunities for rehabilitation, research and improved public awareness. A conservation action plan was published in 2019.

References

  • ARKive: Malayan Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) (archived 7 May 2006)
  • San Diego Zoo's Animal Bytes: Sun Bear
  • Bornean Sun Bear Conservation (archived 18 February 2014)
  • The effects of selective logging on Malayan sun bears in lowland tropical rainforest of Borneo (archived 28 June 2010)