world’s smallest bear
Published on: Sunday, March 17, 2019
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What we do know is that their name is said to come from the horseshoe-shaped marking on their chest, resembling the rising or setting sun, although an alternate theory suggests the name is because they live on the equator – closest to the sun.
Sun bears are excellent tree climbers.
They have extremely long tongues, especially useful for extracting honey (there is a shortage of marmalade in the Bornean jungle!) and they also enjoy eating invertebrates and fruit. Sadly, they are the second rarest bear, after the giant panda. Alex Alexander, the local presenter of this new show, aims to find out more.
A sun bear digging for food.
Smallest bear in the world
Alex teamed up with Dr. Miriam Kunde as they visited Dr. Wong of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) in the search for more information and guidance on this smallest of bear species.
Dr Miriam is a Post-Doctoral Researcher and Scientific Field Officer at DGFC who has been involved with the study of these bears for the last seven years. She completed her PhD on “Ex-situ and In-situ conservation approach for the Malayan sun bear” and is currently focusing on spatial ecology of the sun bears in the Lower Kinabatangan.
A napping sun bear.
Dr. Miriam explained, “Sun bears play a crucial role in their ecosystems as they are also referred to as forest architects. Sun bears have a very diverse diet of fruits and invertebrates and therefore help to disperse seeds, keep termites and ant populations in check and create nesting cavities for hornbills when breaking into the tree trunks in the search for sap or honey.”
But as with every animal featured in the latest series of BJD2, their future is uncertain due to human activity. The total sun bear population has decreased by 30pc in the last 30 years and they are now at high risk of extinction in the wild. This is down to three main factors that are threatening the bears’ survival.
Alex, Dr Miriam and others look on as the sun bear is monitored during a check-up.
Firstly, they are being targeted for their gall bladders for traditional Chinese medicine and their paws as a delicacy to eat. Secondly, being the smallest bears, their cubs are very cute and are frequently kept as pets.
Usually the mother is killed before the cub is taken and after a few years, the cub is killed, dumped or sold-on as it gets too big to handle. Lastly, and an all too familiar threat here in Borneo, is the loss of their habitat. Plantation developments, agriculture, logging and man-made fires are all taking away the bears’ natural home, and with it its hopes for the future.
The lush forest canopy, habitat of the sun bear.
Thankfully scientists like Dr. Miriam and her team are researching the bears and are discovering more about their lifestyle and how human development effects them. With such vital information, policies and survival strategies can be planned to give the bears a better chance.
Dr Miriam adds: “The conservation issues are complex and trans-disciplinary and it requires team effort between science and conservation action to make a difference for this species. If you want to know how to get involved to help sun bears, we are happy to hear from you”.
Sun bear searching for food in the trees.
The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), which has been running for 11 years and currently cares for 46 rescued bears, provides orphaned bears a new home with the aim of rehabilitating them and eventually releasing them into the wild.
They draw attention to the sun bear as it has so long been the ‘forgotten’ bear species which has been neglected by science and conservation. The BSBCC facility also provides sanctuary for bears from the trade, develops husbandry protocols for captive animals and, finally, attempts to rehabilitate and release former captive bears into the wild.
A sun bear undergoing a check-up.
Awareness tool
The sun bear episode is the final chapter of the Borneo Jungle Diaries second series. It brings to an end a fascinating look into the wildlife in Borneo, seen through the eyes of Sabahan presenter and actress Alex Alexander; “I always believed that Sabah’s wildlife was thriving and abundant. I wasn’t aware of how much our wildlife has suffered and is losing most of their habitat, especially in Kinabatangan.
“I had initially wanted to do Borneo Jungle Diaries (BJD) because I wanted new experiences, little did I know that the truths were going to shock me and have made a considerable impact upon me as a person.
Dr Wong showing the markings on the bear’s chest.
“The reason why BJD was created was so that it can be an awareness tool, so I hope it will impact the viewers and especially our own locals the way it did to me. Local people should take the chance whenever they can to explore and be aware of what is happening with our wildlife before there is nothing left to see in the wild, before all we can hope to get is seeing animals locked up in some zoo.
“The locals have to be the ones to push governments and corporations to take action and protect what we have now.
There has to be ways where progress can be reached and at the same time, wildlife conservation is still possible.
A sun bear climbing a tree in search of food.
“While shooting the series, it wasn’t about gaining new experiences for me anymore. I have found a new purpose and I will become the voice for the voiceless. That is why this series is important; to raise awareness to our own people.
I believe once one is aware, one is able to make the right choices.”
We hope that one day soon, this littlest of bears will not need so much of our help to survive.
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