Sun Bears are listed as an
endangered species.
During prehistoric times, Sun Bears inhabited lowland forests of southeast Asia from Malaysia and Indonesia to as far west as India. Today, however, only fragmented populations live in remnants of their former habitat. Because of their remote habitat and shy personality, Sun Bears are the least studied of all bears, so it is unknown exactly how many are left in the wild. What is certain, though, is that their numbers are steadily declining due to a number of factors.
Habitat Loss
- The majority of the Malayan Sun Bear's forest habitat has been destroyed by logging and conversion to agriculture. In addition to leveling the forest, logging roads also create convenient access for poachers who hunt them mercilessly for meat, parts, and fur.
As natural food sources disappear in a shrinking habitat, sun bears are driven by hunger to forage for food on farms and plantations, where they are shot or trapped by angry farmers for damaging their oil palms, coconut, and banana crops.
Overexploitation and Medicinal Purposes
The demand for bear products is the greatest threat to all bears.
- Traditional Asian medicine prescribes bear fat, gall, meat, paws, spinal cord, blood, and bones for complaints ranging from baldness to rheumatism even though studies have shown that the parts have no medicinal value. The trade in bear gall in particular is so highly profitable that it has been likened to the heroin trade, as dried gall can sell for 18 times the price of gold.
- Bear entrees are popular in restaurants and Sun Bear paws are favored in Taiwan for soup.
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· Although many countries have banned trade in bear products, the governments of South Korea and Taiwan, home to some of the most devoted consumers of bear products, are not participants in these bans.
Pets
People often keep Sun Bears as pets. The mother bears are killed in order to obtain cubs young enough to tame. After 3 or 4 years the bears are considerable unmanageable and are then either abandoned, chained, or killed.
· By law, every man, woman and child in Thailand is allowed to keep two of any species as pets except those that are on the brink of extinction. Baby Sun Bears are one of the most popular pets.
These factors combined have greatly reduced the number of Sun Bears worldwide in a short amount of time.
So the Question is...
What can we do to save them now?
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