Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus), also called Malayan sun bears or “honey bears,” live in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They are the smallest bear species on Earth and among the least known. Each bear has a golden or pale orange chest patch that varies in shape and shade, and no two are alike. With a stocky black coat and a short snout, they look quite different from more familiar bears.

An adult stands about 1.2 to 1.5 meters (4-5 feet) tall on its hind legs and weighs roughly 30-70 kg (65-150 lbs), around half the size of an American black bear. Males are slightly larger than females. Both sexes share a stout build with broad paws, curved claws, and sleek fur that is short enough to shed heat yet coarse enough to protect against branches and rain.

Sun bears carry a set of traits built for rainforest life. Their tongue reaches about 25 cm (10 in), the longest among bears, letting them reach honey and insects deep inside hives and rotten wood. Large paws with sickle-shaped claws about 7.5 cm (3 in) long give firm grip on trunks; the front feet turn inward, and the chest is slightly flattened, which helps them hug and climb trees quickly.

The skin at the neck and shoulders is loose, so a grabbed bear can twist free and bite back. Their jaws are powerful enough to crack hard fruits and open tough wood and insect nests.

Sun bears are the only truly tropical bear, found in warm, humid forests from mainland Southeast Asia into Borneo and Sumatra. They favor lowland rainforest where fruit and insects are abundant. They climb and forage in trees and often rest in nests or hollows aloft, though they sometimes use hollow logs on the ground. Because food is available year-round, they do not hibernate and stay active in every season.

Their daily rhythm changes with human presence. In undisturbed forests, they are often diurnal, while in human-dominated areas, they become nocturnal to avoid encounters. Sun bears are solitary and elusive; a typical home range spans about 5-20 km² (2-8 square miles). On the ground, they move with an inward-toed gait, and they sometimes stand upright to sniff the air or survey their surroundings, a posture that can look surprisingly human.

They are omnivores with a strong taste for fruit and honey. They raid hives for honey and insects, eat termites, ants, beetle grubs, small vertebrates, eggs, and even coconuts and earthworms. At night, they may travel several kilometers in search of food, tearing into rotten logs or stripping bark to reach insect nests, and will occasionally scavenge carrion.

Generally shy and quiet, sun bears avoid conflict but defend themselves effectively if cornered. Their ability to twist free and bite back makes it hard for predators to get a fatal hold, and there are reports of them fending off much larger cats. Attacks on people are rare and usually tied to provocation or entrapment.

They communicate with grunts, snuffles, and roars during mating interactions; they may bark when alarmed and growl or huff when agitated. A clucking or tut-tutting sound appears in play and courtship. They also leave scratch marks and use scent from glands on paws and chest to signal presence. The bright chest patch may serve as a visual cue when they rear up.

Breeding can occur at any time of year. Females prepare a nest in a secluded spot, and after about 3-4 months of gestation, a single tiny cub (around 300 grams) is born blind and hairless. Cubs open their eyes after a few weeks and become mobile by about two months.

Mothers nurse for up to roughly four months, with cubs sampling solid food earlier, and they remain together for more than two years while the youngster learns to climb and forage. Males do not take part in raising offspring. In captivity, sun bears can live 25 years or more, though wild lifespans are shorter.