The sun bear is found in the tropical forest habitats of Southeast Asia. They are the smallest of all the bears and are characterised by their long tongues which they use to extract food, their strong sense of smell, and very powerful front paws and long claws which make them highly efficient tree-climbers.
Sun bears do not hibernate due to living in tropical regions and are primarily diurnal (active during the day), but they can be active at night for short periods. Their numbers have declined rapidly in recent years and they are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, due to large-scale deforestation and commercial hunting for the wildlife trade and body parts.
