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A black sun bear with a pale chest patch sitting up among green plants.
Photo: Rushenb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Malayan Sun Bear

Helarctos malayanus

The smallest bear, a tree-climbing honey lover of Southeast Asian forests with a golden patch on its chest and the longest tongue of any bear.

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About the Malayan Sun Bear

Sun bears live in dense forests from southern China and eastern India south to Indonesia. They are 3.5 to 4.5 feet long and weigh 60 to 180 pounds. Their tongues are 8 to 10 inches long, the longest of any bear, and their curved claws can be more than 4 inches long, perfect for tearing into logs and termite mounds. Sun bears are good climbers and often rest or sunbathe in trees.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Helarctos malayanus[1]
Size
3.5 to 4.5 feet long. Females are 10 to 20 percent smaller than males.[1]
Weight
60 to 180 pounds.[1]
Lifespan
Unknown in the wild. Can exceed 30 years in zoos.[1]
Diet
Omnivore. Fruit, berries, insects, termites, honey, eggs, small animals, roots and tree sap.[1]
Habitat
Dense lowland forests, including tropical rainforests and seasonally dry forests.[1]
Where it lives
Southeast Asia, from southern China and eastern India south to Indonesia.[1]
Group life
Solitary, except mothers raising cubs. Mostly active at night.[1]
Babies
Usually two cubs after 95 to 100 days. Newborns weigh 7 to 12 ounces.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Sun bears have the longest tongues of any bear: 8 to 10 inches.[1]
  • Every sun bear's chest patch has its own pattern, like a fingerprint.[1]
  • Sun bears don't hibernate, because their tropical forests have food all year.[1]
  • In Malay, a sun bear's name means "he who likes to sit high."[1]

Vocabulary

hibernate
To spend the winter in a deep, inactive sleep.
arboreal
Living mostly in trees.
omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and other animals.
poaching
Hunting or capturing animals illegally.
palm oil
An oil made from palm fruit; clearing forest for palm farms destroys animal habitat.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “Malayan Sun Bear.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/malayan-sun-bear/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Helarctos malayanus (Sun Bear).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9760/123798233 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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