The common name for the bear species Helarctos malayanus is the sun bear.
The sun bear is the smallest living bear species and the only member of the genus Helarctos. It lives in tropical forests across Southeast Asia, from northeastern India and Bangladesh through mainland Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
Its name refers to the distinctive pale, usually crescent-shaped marking on its chest, which can resemble a rising sun. It is also called the honey bear because it uses powerful claws and a long tongue to open nests and feed on honey and bee larvae. The Malay and Indonesian name is beruang madu, meaning “honey bear.”
A common mix-up is confusing it with the sloth bear, another Asian bear that also eats insects and honey. The sun bear is much smaller, has short black fur, rounded ears and strongly curved claws. Habitat loss and poaching have caused major declines, and the species is classified as Vulnerable.