Wildlife Guide · Indonesia & Malaysia

Sun Bear

Q: How can I help save the sun bear?

The most effective way to help the sun bear is to fund the frontline rescue and habitat protection that keeps the species alive — WARN channels donations to partner-led teams working where the need is greatest. You can also ease the pressures behind its decline by avoiding the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buying wild animals as pets, and choosing sustainable products, and by sharing accurate information to build wider support. See the ways to help below, or support WARN's Support Bear Rescue.

Q: What is bear bile used for?

Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), used in traditional Chinese medicine for conditions including liver disease, gallstones and fever. UDCA is also a mainstream Western medicine — but the synthetic version, produced pharmaceutically, has been available since the 1950s. There is no medical need to use farmed bear bile.

Q: Is bear bile farming legal?

Bear bile farming is now legal only in China, where it is regulated (though regulation is widely considered inadequate). Vietnam banned bile extraction in 2005, and bear farming has been phased out in South Korea; Japan and most other countries do not permit it. Captive bile bears are overwhelmingly Asiatic black bears (moon bears), with sun bears a smaller share; China's farms hold an estimated several thousand bears.

Q: How small is a sun bear?

Sun bears weigh between 25 and 65 kilograms — making them the smallest of the eight bear species, roughly comparable to a large dog. Despite their size, they are powerful animals with long, curved claws adapted for climbing trees and tearing open bee nests and termite mounds.

Q: Can sun bears rescued from farms be released into the wild?

Very rarely. Most bears rescued from bile farms have spent years in conditions that cause irreversible physical and psychological damage. They cannot forage for themselves, have lost their fear of humans, and lack the spatial knowledge needed to survive in the wild. Almost all require permanent sanctuary care.

Q: What do sun bears eat?

Sun Bears eat Omnivore — termites, ants, beetle larvae, bees and honey, figs and other fruit. Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

Q: Where do sun bears live?

Sun Bears live in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam. Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

Q: Are sun bears dangerous?

Sun Bears are domesticated animals and are not dangerous to people in the wild-predator sense. Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine. Usual risks are husbandry and handling, not unprovoked attacks.

Q: How long do sun bears live?

Sun Bears typically live Up to ~25 years in the wild; ~30+ years in captivity (one record ~36 years). Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.

Q: How big is a sun bear?

A Sun Bear is about Up to ~25 years in the wild; ~30+ years in captivity (one record ~36 years). Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

Helarctos malayanus (Raffles, 1821)

The smallest bear on earth — kept in cages for bile, or taken as cubs for pets.

IUCN: Vulnerable

Sun bear with its distinctive pale chest patch in Southeast Asian forest

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons (Sun-bear.jpg) — verify license before production

In brief

Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

Sun bears are the smallest bears in the world, native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They are threatened by deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade, and the bear bile industry — in which bears are kept in tiny cages, sometimes for decades, and milked for bile used in traditional medicine. Most farmed bile bears are Asiatic black bears (moon bears), with sun bears a smaller share. Sun bears are also taken from the wild as cubs to be sold as pets.

>30%

Population decline over the last three generations (~30 yrs)

20+

Years a bile bear may be caged

<200

Caged bile bears left in Vietnam (down from ~4,300 in 2005)

Appendix I

CITES listing — all commercial trade banned

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List — Helarctos malayanus (Scotson et al. 2017), CITES Appendices (Appendix I), IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group — Sun Bear (bearbiology.org) and other references on this page.

Sun Bear: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Sun Bear
Lifespan	Up to ~25 years in the wild; ~30+ years in captivity (one record ~36 years)
Weight	25–65 kg (males up to ~one-third larger than females) — the smallest bear species
Body length	~100–150 cm; shoulder height ~70 cm
Diet	Omnivore — termites, ants, beetle larvae, bees and honey, figs and other fruit
Tongue	Very long — roughly 20–25 cm — to extract honey and insects from deep cavities
Gestation	~95 days (delayed implantation can extend apparent pregnancy to 174–240 days)
Young per birth	Usually 1, sometimes 2 cubs; no fixed breeding season near the equator
Baby name	Cub
Subspecies	Two — H. m. malayanus (mainland + Sumatra) and the smaller H. m. euryspilus (Borneo)
CITES	Appendix I — all international commercial trade prohibited

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Sun Bear
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Ursidae
Genus	Helarctos (only living member)
Species	Helarctos malayanus (Raffles, 1821)

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Population: No reliable global population estimate; numbers are declining across the range
Trend: Decreasing
Assessed: 2017
CITES: Appendix I

Population estimated to have declined by more than 30% over the last three generations (~30 years; generation length ~10 years).

Did you know?

A sun bear's tongue can extend roughly 20–25 cm — among the longest relative to body size of any bear — letting it reach honey, termites and grubs deep inside trees and nests, which is why it's also nicknamed the honey bear.

Key Facts: Sun Bear

Sun bears are the smallest of the eight bear species, weighing 25–65 kg — comparable in size to a large dog.
They act as keystone species in Southeast Asian forests, dispersing seeds and excavating tree cavities used by hornbills, flying squirrels and other wildlife.
Bear bile farming — in which bears are kept in tiny "crush cages" and bile extracted through a fistula or catheter — remains legal only in China; Vietnam banned bile extraction in 2005, though a clandestine trade persists.
Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid, a genuine medicine, but a synthetic version has been produced since the 1950s — so there is no medical need for farmed bile.
Sun bear cubs are frequently taken from the wild after their mothers are killed — either for the pet trade or for farming.
Rescued sun bears are intelligent and need complex, enriched environments; recovery from years of cage confinement can take years, and most can never be released.

What Is Bear Bile Farming?

Bear bile farming is the practice of keeping bears in captivity and extracting bile from their gallbladders, typically through a permanently open hole (fistula) or a surgically implanted catheter. Farmed bears — overwhelmingly Asiatic black bears (moon bears), with sun bears a smaller minority — are often confined in "crush cages" so small they cannot stand upright or turn around. Some remain in these conditions for twenty years or more. The practice is now legal only in China, where bear bile is used in traditional medicine; Vietnam banned bile extraction in 2005, although a clandestine trade persists and the caged population there has collapsed from around 4,300 bears in 2005 to under 200 by 2024. Bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid, a compound with real applications in treating liver disease and gallstones — but synthetic ursodeoxycholic acid has been available since the 1950s, so no medical use requires farmed bile.

Sun Bear Habitat Loss

Sun bears depend on intact lowland tropical and montane forest. The conversion of Bornean and Sumatran forest to oil palm has eliminated vast areas of suitable habitat and brought bears into direct conflict with plantation workers, who frequently kill them as crop raiders. Across Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, forest clearance for agriculture and development is the primary driver of population decline. Sun bears are cryptic and elusive — often crepuscular or diurnal in undisturbed forest but more nocturnal near people — and they travel large home ranges, so population declines often go undetected until local extinction has already occurred.

Life After the Bile Farm

Bears rescued from bile farms are among the most challenging animals to rehabilitate. Years of physical constraint cause muscle atrophy, joint deformity and dental damage. Psychological trauma manifests as stereotypic behaviour — repetitive rocking, pacing and bar-biting — that can persist for years in sanctuary conditions. Enrichment programmes, social companionship and large naturalistic enclosures significantly improve outcomes, but the overwhelming majority of bile farm survivors cannot be released into the wild. They require lifetime care at specialist facilities.

Sun bear vs moon bear (Asiatic black bear) vs sloth bear

Attribute	Sun bear	Moon bear	Sloth bear
Scientific name	Helarctos malayanus	Ursus thibetanus	Melursus ursinus
Typical weight	25–65 kg (smallest bear)	~65–150 kg	~55–145 kg
Chest mark	Orange-cream crescent ('sun')	White V-shape ('moon')	Pale Y/U-shape
Coat	Short and sleek	Shaggy	Long and shaggy
IUCN status	Vulnerable	Vulnerable	Vulnerable
Main range	Tropical SE Asia	S/E Asia, Himalayas	Indian subcontinent
Role in bile trade	Smaller share of farmed bears	Large majority of farmed bears	Rarely farmed

What WARN Does

WARN focuses current bear rescue funding on Indonesia and Malaysia, while keeping the wider China and Vietnam bile-farming context live to explain the welfare crisis and the search demand around it.

A sun bear pulled from a cage or the pet trade can't simply be released — recovering from years of confinement takes specialist veterinary care, enrichment and a forest-edge enclosure that may be needed for the rest of the bear's life. Your gift helps WARN fund local partners in Indonesia and Malaysia who do exactly this work, one bear at a time.

Support Bear Rescue Donate to WARN

How can I help save the sun bear?

There are three practical things that make a real difference for the sun bear — and the first is the one that funds everything else.

Fund frontline rescue

Back the partner-led teams, veterinary care and protection that reach sun bears where the need is greatest — WARN channels donations straight to that work.

Ease the pressures

Avoid the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buy wild animals as pets, and choose sustainable, habitat-friendly products — the threats behind the sun bear's decline fall when demand does.

Spread the word

Share accurate, sourced information about the sun bear. Wider awareness is what turns concern into lasting protection.

Support Bear Rescue Donate monthly

Sun Bear: Frequently Asked Questions

How can I help save the sun bear?

The most effective way to help the sun bear is to fund the frontline rescue and habitat protection that keeps the species alive — WARN channels donations to partner-led teams working where the need is greatest. You can also ease the pressures behind its decline by avoiding the wildlife trade and souvenirs, never buying wild animals as pets, and choosing sustainable products, and by sharing accurate information to build wider support. See the ways to help below, or support WARN's Support Bear Rescue.

What is bear bile used for?

Bear bile contains ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), used in traditional Chinese medicine for conditions including liver disease, gallstones and fever. UDCA is also a mainstream Western medicine — but the synthetic version, produced pharmaceutically, has been available since the 1950s. There is no medical need to use farmed bear bile.

Is bear bile farming legal?

Bear bile farming is now legal only in China, where it is regulated (though regulation is widely considered inadequate). Vietnam banned bile extraction in 2005, and bear farming has been phased out in South Korea; Japan and most other countries do not permit it. Captive bile bears are overwhelmingly Asiatic black bears (moon bears), with sun bears a smaller share; China's farms hold an estimated several thousand bears.

How small is a sun bear?

Sun bears weigh between 25 and 65 kilograms — making them the smallest of the eight bear species, roughly comparable to a large dog. Despite their size, they are powerful animals with long, curved claws adapted for climbing trees and tearing open bee nests and termite mounds.

Can sun bears rescued from farms be released into the wild?

Very rarely. Most bears rescued from bile farms have spent years in conditions that cause irreversible physical and psychological damage. They cannot forage for themselves, have lost their fear of humans, and lack the spatial knowledge needed to survive in the wild. Almost all require permanent sanctuary care.

What do sun bears eat?

Sun Bears eat Omnivore — termites, ants, beetle larvae, bees and honey, figs and other fruit. Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

Where do sun bears live?

Sun Bears live in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam. Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

Are sun bears dangerous?

Sun Bears are domesticated animals and are not dangerous to people in the wild-predator sense. Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine. Usual risks are husbandry and handling, not unprovoked attacks.

How long do sun bears live?

Sun Bears typically live Up to ~25 years in the wild; ~30+ years in captivity (one record ~36 years). Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.

How big is a sun bear?

A Sun Bear is about Up to ~25 years in the wild; ~30+ years in captivity (one record ~36 years). Sun bears are the world's smallest bears, native to Southeast Asia, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; they are threatened by deforestation, the pet trade, and the bear bile industry, in which bears are caged for years and milked for bile used in traditional medicine.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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