Animal
Sun bear
The world’s smallest bear climbs trees and reaches for honey with a long tongue.
Content language
The sun bear is the smallest living bear species. With a body length of around 1.2-1.5 metres, it usually weighs 30-80 kilograms, setting it apart from the largest members of the family. Large claws help it climb trees. It often spends time in their crowns, so its daily world extends beyond walking along the forest floor.
A tongue reaching 25 centimetres helps it gather honey. This is a particularly useful tool for reaching food hidden in awkward places. Besides honey, sun bears eat invertebrates, fruit and flower nectar. Their diet combines plant and animal foods, and they search for meals at different levels of the forest.
The warm climate of their natural habitat is associated with the absence of winter hibernation. Sun bears do not have the annual period of dormancy found in bear species from regions with harsh winters. At the Orientarium, the species is represented by a female named Batu. In the wild, tropical forest clearance and poaching threaten her relatives. Losing trees also means losing places to climb, rest and find food, all characteristic parts of this small bear’s life.
For children
Not every bear is enormous. The sun bear is the smallest living species in the bear family. It weighs around 30-80 kilograms and is an excellent climber. Large claws help it move through trees.
It also has an unusually long tongue, which can reach 25 centimetres. The tongue is useful for getting honey. Sun bears also eat fruit, flower nectar and small invertebrates, so the forest supplies many different foods.
A female called Batu lives at the Orientarium. Her species comes from a warm climate and does not hibernate in winter. In the wild, disappearing forests and poaching are major problems. Trees give a sun bear places to climb, rest and look for food; they are much more than a backdrop to its life.
Question 1 of 2
What helps a sun bear climb?
- Location
- Orientarium, Sunda Islands zone, sun bear area.