The Malayan sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus malayanus'') is a
subspecies
In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of
sun bear
The sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus'') is a bear species in the Family (biology), family Ursidae found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the only species in the genus ''Helarctos'' and the smallest bear species, standing nearly ...
, occurring in
southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
In 2025, Malayan sun bear along with the Bornean sun bear (''Helarctos malayanus euryspilus''), have been selected to be new campaign mascots for Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
Taxonomy
The Malayan sun bear was first described by
Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British Colonial Office, colonial official who served as the List of governors of the Dutch East Indies, governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieut ...
in 1821.
The Malayan sun can be found across Malaysia.
Description
Although the sun bear is the smallest species in the
bear family, its subspecies, the Malayan sun bear is even smaller, with a maximum length of and weight of .
The Malayan sun bear appears very similar to the sun bear, but is distinguishable by its golden-white chest patch, which is thinner than that of the sun bear.
Distribution and habitat
The Malayan sun bear can be found in mainly
coastal areas in southeast Asia, but is less dispersed within it than the sun bear, with specific
populations living as follows:
* Along the
India–Myanmar border
* Western
peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...
* Western
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
* Inland
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
* Inland
Indochina
Like the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear lives within rainforests (both evergreen and deciduous) of diverse altitudes, ranging from coastal, lowland areas to mountainous regions of above .
Ecology and behavior
Unlike the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear is primarily nocturnal, although it is also active in the daytime.
However, equally to the sun bear, they do not hibernate like other bears due to their warm, tropical environment, which provides nutrients all year round.
Diet
Similarly to the sun bear, the Malayan sun bear is omnivorous and eats fruit, honey, and nuts. The meat in their diet is composed of insects such as termites, bee larvae and beetle larvae.
They can reach these foods with their long tongues (which can reach ) and claws.
References
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5893611
Ursinae