In the thick lowland forests of South-east Asia, the solitary Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus), the smallest member of the bear family, resides in an insular world. The Sun Bear is named after the golden, or white, shaped patch on its chest which, according to the legend, represents the rising sun. The Sun Bear's stylish, black coat is short to prevent overheating in hot weather, but dense to shield them from fog, trees, and rain. They have a stocky, muscular build, little ears, and a short muzzle, which has resulted in locals referring to them as “dog bears”. Sun Bears, ironically, are nightlife bears. At night, they snack on fresh fruit, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents through the forests.
Male Sun Bears have a shoulder height between 2’2”-2’4” (.66-.71 m) and a weight in the range of 88-155 lb (40-70 kg). The shoulder heights of females are between 2’-2’2” (.61-.66 m) with weights from 55-110 lb (25-50 kg). The Sun Bear has an overall body length of roughly 4’-5’ (1.22-1.52 m), upright standing height of 4’3”-5’3” (1.3-1.6 m), and a typical lifespan of 20-25 years in the wild or 20-30 years if protected in captivity.
In the thick lowland forests of South-east Asia, the solitary Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus), the smallest member of the bear family, resides in an insular world. The Sun Bear is named after the golden, or white, shaped patch on its chest which, according to the legend, represents the rising sun. The Sun Bear's stylish, black coat is short to prevent overheating in hot weather, but dense to shield them from fog, trees, and rain. They have a stocky, muscular build, little ears, and a short muzzle, which has resulted in locals referring to them as “dog bears”. Sun Bears, ironically, are nightlife bears. At night, they snack on fresh fruit, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents through the forests.
Male Sun Bears have a shoulder height between 2’2”-2’4” (.66-.71 m) and a weight in the range of 88-155 lb (40-70 kg). The shoulder heights of females are between 2’-2’2” (.61-.66 m) with weights from 55-110 lb (25-50 kg). The Sun Bear has an overall body length of roughly 4’-5’ (1.22-1.52 m), upright standing height of 4’3”-5’3” (1.3-1.6 m), and a typical lifespan of 20-25 years in the wild or 20-30 years if protected in captivity.
