The sun bear is the smallest living bear species and lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
Sun bears are also called honey bears because honey and bee larvae are important foods. Their long tongues, which can extend roughly 25 centimetres, help them reach honey and insects inside nests. They also eat fruit, termites, small vertebrates, and other plant and animal foods.
A pale or orange chest mark usually distinguishes an individual, and its shape is often compared with a rising sun. Sun bears have short black fur and strongly curved claws suited to climbing and tearing into rotten wood.
Despite their small size, sun bears are powerful animals. Deforestation, hunting, and the illegal wildlife trade threaten populations across their range. They are different from sloth bears, which are native to the Indian subcontinent.