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 The
sun bear is the smallest bear in the world. It is also called the
Malayan Bear. The sun bear
is about half the size of the American
black bear. At birth, it weighs about 198 to 340 grams.
It grows to about 1.2 meters
and weighs only around 40 kilograms. Males are 10 to 20 percent
larger than females. This cute-looking bear got its
name for the yellowish markings that are found on
its chest. Many people believed
that the mark represented the rising sun.
Sun bears can be found in Thailand, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Laos, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra,
and Borneo in Asia. They like to make their homes in the branches of trees. They spend the entire day sunbathing and sleeping.
They are active at night.
Sun bears hunt at night. They can eat
anything they find. But they usually eat insects, small birds and
lizards. They also eat fruit,
honey and the soft parts of palm trees. Sun bears have
a long tongue. It is perfectly suited for getting at honey and insects
inside trees. Sometimes they even eat coconuts.
Their strong jaws and teeth help them open coconuts
easily!
 Sun bear
cubs are born hairless. They are unable
to hear or smell. They feed on their mother’s milk
for four months. The young sun bears are able to run and play at about
two months of age. But they will stay with their mother for
more than two years. They can live up to 30 years in captivity.
In 1978, sun bears were included in the red list of endangered species. In the wild, they are getting
fewer and fewer, mainly due to habitat loss from farming and logging. It is unknown how many are left in the wild today. |
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