Sun bears are extremely comfortable climbing high in the rain forest canopy.
Sometimes I think the sun bear (helarctos malayanus) should instead be called the monkey bear for their spectacular ability to climb trees high in the canopy of Southeast Asian rain forests. These smallest bears in the world (big males only weigh up to 150 lbs) have the longest claws of all eight bear species, even longer than giant brown bears! They are also curved and very sharp like a black bear to provide superior grip on the trunks of trees. The canopy is where these bears find their favorite foods—fruits like the many species of figs, and insects such as termites, bees and ants. Watching these bears navigate the treetops at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Sabah is one of my favorite aspects of the Borneo wildlife expeditions I guide several times a year. Here is a compilation of footage I filmed with my Canon 7d and 70-200 2.8.
Not only do sun bears have the longest claws of any bear, but they also have the longest tongue!
These amazing bears need more help to avoid extinction, in my opinion, than any other animal on earth. Poaching and habitat destruction have taken a brutal toll on sun bear populations.
Click here to read more about sun bears and other amazing Borneo wildlife from my previous blog posts. To help the BSBCC save sun bears from extinction, click here!
1 Comment
Awesome Brad ! Really enjoyed that vid. Really is something else watching them climb, play, sleep, and feed in the tree tops like that. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for bringing awareness to everyone about how special these little guys are and how their species is endangered.