The National Journal of Ursalography

The Sun Bear is the smallest of the eight extant bear species (Black Bear, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Asiatic Black Bear, Spectacled Bear, Panda Bear, Sun Bear and Sloth Bear; Honeybear is a subspecies of Brown Bear), and is the least understood of the bear family. Sun Bears are native to Southeast Asia, where they are sometimes referred to as “dog bears”, because of their relatively diminutive stature. With only the largest males exceeding 1.5 metres from nose to toe, the Sun Bear is only about as big as a large dog, such as those in the Retriever family, thus meriting its nickname. The heaviest specimen on record was measured at 54 kg.

The Sun Bear’s diet consists primarily of standard, scavenger fare: discarded fruits and fast food, grass and the like. Some have even been known to perform tricks, such as handstands and rollovers, for food in marketplaces and various other emporia. Sun Bears rarely exhibit predatory leanings, but some have been known to feed on small lizards and insects.

Sun Bears’ bodies are dark-brown or sometimes black, with lighter colorings around their faces, chests and paws. They have very long claws which are used for manipulating objects (not mauling prey). The Sun Bear has the longest tongue of any mammal; the longest on record was 51 cm and the average is about 40 cm. See the film below.

Sun Bears are very shy and only approachable if the human knows what he/she is doing. First of all, always use extreme caution in the presence of bears; bears are the leading cause of animal related death in over 100 countries, including 3 developed nations. Although there are no fatal attacks attributed to Sun Bears in the NJU’s Bear Attack Database (BAD), any Pacific Islander will tell you that children and small adults go missing every year during the Sun Bear feeding frenzy which takes place before the onset of the rainy season. Sun Bears are the only bears which do not need to hibernate (though some do, according to preference), so they are generally wide awake during the rainy season when food is scarce. Sun Bears generally live to about 45 years and females can produce new litters of 6-7 cubs yearly between the ages of 8 and 40.

The Wikipedia page on the Sun Bear is an excellent resource. For information on the threat to Sun Bears, take a look at the WSPA’s bear bile page.

Readers,

I am very pleased to announce that our official website has finally been released. In edition to our weekly publication, this website is going to be a source of invaluable information. Although we can’t recreate the high-resolution, “centerfold-style” bear immersion here that we do with our print edition, we can provide up-to-the-second bear news. I look forward to a new decade of bear research and a new home for all bears on the internet.

Gib, Editor in Cheif, The National Journal of Ursalography