Sun bear
Ecology and behaviour
Sun bears are shy and reclusive animals, and usually do not attack humans unless provoked to do so, or if they are injured or with their cubs; their timid nature led these bears to be tamed often and kept as pets in the past. They are typically solitary but are sometimes seen in pairs (such as mothers and cubs). Sun bears stand on their hindfeet for a broader view of their surroundings or smell far-off objects; they try to intimidate their enemies by displaying the chest patch if threatened. Sun bears are noted for their intelligence; a captive bear observed sugar being stored in a cupboard then locked by a key, and later used its own claw to open the lock. Vocalisations include grunts and snuffles while foraging for insects, and roars similar to those of a male orangutan during the breeding season; less commonly they may give out short barks (like a rhinoceros) when they are surprised. Sun bears do not seem to hibernate, possibly because food resources are available the whole year throughout the range. They occupy home ranges of varying sizes in different areas, ranging from 7 to 27 km2 (2.7 to 10.4 sq mi) in Borneo and peninsular Malaysia; a study in Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in Sabah (Malaysia) gave the sizes of ranges as 8.7–20.9 km2 (3.4–8.1 sq mi). Tigers are major predators; dholes and leopards have also been recorded preying on sun bears but cases are relatively fewer. A wild female sun bear was swallowed by a large reticulated python in East Kalimantan.
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