Sun Bear
Helarctos malayanus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyUrsidae (Bears)
- GenusHelarctos (Sun Bears)
- SpeciesHelarctos malayanus (Sun Bear)
The sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a bear species in the 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 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-coloured chest patch. The sun bear's unique morphology with inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, powerful forelimbs with large claws suggests adaptations for climbing, and it is an excellent climber and the most arboreal of all bears. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Sun Bear sighting in Kaeng Krachan National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Kaeng Krachan National Park
Asiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus
Yellow-throated Marten
Martes flavigula
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Common Palm Civet
Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
Masked Palm Civet
Paguma larvata
Small-toothed Palm Civet
Arctogalidia trivirgata
Crab-eating Mongoose
Herpestes urva
Dhole
Cuon alpinus
Large Indian Civet
Viverra zibetha
Asian Jackal
Canis aureus
Mongoose
Herpestes javanicus
Binturong
Arctictis binturong
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sun Bear in Kaeng Krachan National Park?
About 45% of wildlife watchers report a Sun Bear sighting in Kaeng Krachan National Park, based on 183 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sun Bear in Kaeng Krachan National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Sun Bear in Kaeng Krachan National Park in our monthly data.