BORNEAN SUN BEAR

The Bornean sun bear, known for its pale horseshoe-shaped chest pattern, is the world’s second-rarest bear, after the giant panda. It’s also the smallest and most arboreal. The sun bear population has declined by 30 per cent since 1990 due to habitat destruction and poaching; sun bears are targeted by hunters for their gall bladders, which are popular in Chinese medicine, and for the pet trade. As well as dispersing seeds, sun bears dig for invertebrates, which enriches the soil. Their predilection for shredding tree bark also creates nesting holes for hornbills and flying squirrels.