Sun bear
Helarctos malayanus
About
Sun bears are the smallest of the eight species of bear.
They’re also known as the ‘honey bear’ due to their love of honey, or ‘dog-face bear’. They have very powerful jaws that can tear open trees in search of insects to eat, as well as big paws with large claws and hairless soles that help them to climb.
Like our other bears at the zoo, sun bears are mainly solitary apart from during periods of mating, with litters of just one or two cubs who remain with their mothers until they are about two years old and fully grown.
Sun bear facts
Threats
Sun bears are under threat from the illegal wildlife trade. The species also suffers from illegal wildlife trade with sun bears used in traditional Asian medicines – although scientific evidence has shown they have no medicinal value.
Now extinct in Singapore and Yunna, where they were once found in large numbers, sun bear numbers in the wild are rapidly declining.
We’re working with alongside TRAFFIC to monitor illegal wildlife trade internationally.
Hunting or collection
