“basindo nan tenggil” -He who likes to sit high.

Shhh, the sun bear is sleeping. – Digital Illustration by Juan Carlos Parco

This is Sun Bear. Sun bears are typically found in South East Asia, on where they are excellent climbers, and spend most of their time on trees.

And if you’re also wondering, “If there are sun bears, then there are moon bears, right?” Right on! They’re also known as the Asian black bears.

These sun bears not only climb trees, they also have strong jaws to break the tree bark. With its long tongue, it can get the burrowing insects or larvae hidden beneath the bark.

When the sun bear cubs were still with their mother, they would often be separated from the mother and sold to private zoos, circuses, etc. Like other bears in South East Asia, they would also be hunted for their “gall bladders” and other body parts for traditional medicine.