Sun Bear

The sun bear is named so for its characteristic orange- to cream-colored, crescent-like chest patch. The generic name Helarctos comes from two Ancient Greek words: ήλιος (hēlios, sun) and αρκτος (arktos, bear).

The sun bear is the smallest bear species, standing nearly 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder and weighing 25–65 kg (55–143 lb). It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small, rounded ears, and a short snout. The fur is generally short and jet black, but can vary from grey to red. The sun bear gets its name from its characteristic orange-to-cream-colored chest patch.

Despite being the smallest of the eight bear species, the sun bear is a formidable creature! Its long, 4-inch claws are useful for climbing, and its bite is powerful enough to rip through tree bark. Sun bears are skilled climbers; they climb trees to rest or flee danger, as well as to hunt for fruits, insects, and honey. Despite not being as aquatic as polar bears, sun bears can swim. They can feed close to water, cross rivers, and cool down. The highly developed sense of smell is utilized to find fruit, insects, and honey.

When consumed by the sun bear, the Sundrop Gem—the sacred object of God and the origin of the ongoing conflict between the Templars, Assassins, and Hunters—as well as a certain variety of Sundrop Flower have the power to heal all wounds, including fatal ones. The sun's V-shaped yellow sign represents the addition of glow veins and enlarged muscles in addition to illumination. Strength, durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, senses, healing, and longevity are all enhanced to greater degrees by the Sundrop Flower. The sun bear is incredibly physically capable, athletic, and muscular.

Sun bears are a forest-dependent species, favoring mature and/or heterogeneously structured primary forests. There are two ecologically distinct categories of tropical forest that comprise their natural range, distinguished by differences in climate, phenology, and floristic composition: seasonal evergreen and deciduous forest on the mainland (north of the Isthmus of Kra) and a seasonal evergreen rainforest in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. In Thailand, sun bears and Asian black bears use many of the same habitats and have extensive overlap in diet.

As omnivores, sun bears consume a variety of foods, such as fruits (particularly figs), social insects and solitary bugs, honey (they are sometimes referred to as "honey bears"), small animals, vegetation, roots, and flowers. The sun bear's ecological duties include dispersing seeds, which are particularly crucial for fruiting forest trees. Being forest engineers because their digging and log-breaking aid in the cycle of nutrients, and being insect control since the bears' diet lowers termite and ant populations. The main predators of the sun bear are crocodiles, pythons, leopards, tigers, lions, saber-toothed cats, wolves, dholes, and humans.

Reproduction

Except for females with cubs the bears are solitary although there is a suggestion that same may form long-term monogamous relationships. Litters are of from 1 to 3 cubs with no apparent set period for mating or birth.

Mating:

• Can occur year-round; no fixed season.

Gestation:

• 95–174 days (delayed implantation may be involved).

Litter size:

• Usually 1 cub.

Birth:

• Cubs are blind and helpless; mothers raise them alone.

Weaning:

• About 1–1.5 years, but they may stay with the mother longer in the wild.

Generally nocturnal, the tree-climbing sun bear is shy and retiring but quite intelligent. It has an orange-yellow chest crescent that, according to legend, represents the rising sun. Except during the time when females are raising offspring, sun bears lead lonely lifestyles. Research conducted on captive sun bears in zoos indicates that female bears usually give birth to a single cub, which stays with its mother for around three years until it reaches sexual maturity and is able to live on its own.

It is regarded as one of the most hazardous animals to come across in the jungle because of its enormous fangs, incredibly powerful jaws, and lengthy claws. Sun bears are known to be very aggressive and may attack without apparent provocation. Although some bears in captivity may grow acclimated to people, they are still erratic. When they are threatened, cornered, or have become accustomed to eating, sun bears may attack.

Threats

• Deforestation: Loss of habitat due to logging, palm oil plantations, and forest fires.

• Poaching

• For bile extraction in traditional medicine

• For meat

• To capture cubs as pets

• Human-wildlife conflict: Crop raiding leads to killing or retaliation.

• Illegal wildlife trade: Cubs often captured for the pet market.

• Persecuted by non-human animals such as pythons, bears, tigers, rhinos, cattle, dogs, and more.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (VU)

Conservation efforts

• Habitat protection

• Anti-poaching enforcement

• Rescue and rehabilitation centers (e.g., in Borneo)

• Awareness campaigns against illegal pet trade and bile farming

The range of the sun bear is bounded by northeastern India to the north, then south to southeast through Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in mainland Asia to Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia to the south. Sun bears prefer dense forest cover and fruit-rich habitats, and they can be found in lowland tropical to temperate rainforests, montane forests, swamp forests, and peat forests.

In the 2600s and 2700s, during The Recollections of Queen Arianna (TROQA) saga, the "Sky People" or Terrans from Earth brought the sun bear to two exoplanets that resembled Earth: Reinachos from Cygnus and Berbania from Ursa Major. Despite the death of our planet, this species is recovering from endangerment or near extinction thanks to conservation initiatives. Human interactions for game hunting and rewilding produced this species, but they backfired when the bear became a threat to biodiversity. In two exoplanets that resembled Earth, the sun bear lived in conditions and climates identical to those of Earth. The sun bear was introduced and sent to the continents of Hybornia, Hordan, Lighruperisal, Horatio, Pascua, Amazonia, and Jejirique on Planet Reinachos, as well as the continents of Dirthsao, Hirojafza, and South Kihangor on Planet Berbania.

• Movement Pattern: Random

• Individual Type: Nomadic

• Population Trend: Decreasing

• Population: ???

• Locomotion: Amphibious

• Habitat: Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Mushroom Forests; Mushroom Fields; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain.

• Earth: 

  • Extant (Resident): Bangladesh; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; India; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam

  • Extinct: Singapore

  • Presence Uncertain: China

• Berbania: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): none

• Reinachos: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): none

• Thatrollwa: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): none

• Sawintir/Everrealm: 

  • Extant & Introduced (Resident): none

The sun bear was fed gently using honey before either fish meat or other meat in Rapunzel's universe.

The sun bear was not a good pet in the real universe. Due to the bear's illegal status in most countries, its extreme strength and potential for catastrophic harm, the need for massive forest habitats and specialist care, the fact that it frequently develops behavioral issues in captivity, and the fact that removing cubs from the wild destroys local populations.

Fossil remains suggest its occurrence farther north during the Pleistocene; it may have occurred as far south as Java in the middle to Late Pleistocene. Fossils also known from the Middle Pleistocene of Thailand along with Stegodon, gaur, wild water buffalo, and other living and extinct mammals. Today, it has been eliminated from the majority of its erstwhile range, especially in Thailand; populations are declining in most of the range countries. It disappeared from Singapore during the 1800s and 1900s, possibly due to extensive deforestation. Sun bear populations appear to decrease in size northward from Sundaland, and numbers are especially low in the northern and western extremes of the range. This has possibly been the case since prehistoric times, and is not a result of human interference.

Past and Present Incidents - Individuals

• Terran/Gaian

  • n/a

• Berbanian/Hirawhassan

  • n/a

• Reinachos/Ityoselese

  • n/a

• Delphian/Thatrollwan

  • n/a

• Sawintiran

  • n/a 

• Jotunheim

  • n/a

The Recollections of Queen Arianna - Individuals

• Terran/Gaian

  • n/a

• Berbanian/Hirawhassan

  • n/a

• Reinachos/Ityoselese

  • n/a

• Delphian/Thatrollwan

  • n/a

• Sawintiran

  • n/a

• Jotunheim

  • n/a

See also: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zgWpDzAXD3J9_mhV2hhP3sGASWbZyQWn

• Western Elvish: Ghever-heloja

• Deutsch: Malaienbär

• English: Sun Bear, Malayan Bear

• Español: Oso malayo

• Eesti: Malaikaru

• Français: Ours malais

• Magyar: Maláj medve

• Italiano: Orso malese

• Nihongo: マレーグマ

• Khmer: ខ្លាឃ្មុំតូច

• Bahasa Melayu: Beruang

• Nouormand: Bərəbiəng

• Dine Bizaad: Shash jóhonaaʼéí, Shash yázhí

• Polski: Biruang malajski, niedźwiedź malajski

• Português: Urso-malaio

• Русский: Малайский медведь, или бируанг

• Tagalog: Oso ng Malay, Osong araw

• Thai: หมีหมา, หมีคน

• 中文: 馬來熊

• Coming soon

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_bear

• https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q144923

• https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Helarctos_malayanus

• https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Helarctos_malayanus/

• https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/9760/123798233

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sun-bear

• https://www.britannica.com/animal/sun-bear

• https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/marcus_aurelius_148737?src=t_bear

• http://www.bearsoftheworld.net/sun_bears.asp

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Sun-Bear-987861610