The Bare Bear Facts
Conservation StatusThe Malayan sun bear is categorised as "Vulnerable" under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild, and listed in Appendix I in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
There are indications that in the recent three decades, Malaysia's population of Malayan sun bear has decreased by as much as 30%, placing it firmly as a threatened wildlife species. The main threats are:
The Malayan sun bear is a totally protected species under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, and it is illegal to hunt, possess or procure the animal or its parts without a specialised permit. |
DistributionOther than in Malaysia, Malayan sun bears can be found in these countries, though in most places populations have been limited to small areas of its historical range:
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ReproductionThe Malayan sun bear reproduces all year round, with a gestation period of up to eight months, and a litter of up to three cubs, though usually a mother produces only one cub per litter. The cubs are born in a nest padded out in cavities, for instance in hollow trees. The cubs, born blind, are protected and nurtured by the mother bear until they are about two years old, whereupon they make their way out into the wild. This bear lives a solitary life, aside from during mating time and as a mother with cubs.
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