Here comes the Sun Bear

 

The survival chances are shrinking for the world's smallest bear.

There are no villains here, simply suffering on both sides.

It’s the kind of suffering that is rapidly ending the existence of a threatened species but it’s the kind of suffering that - with your help - we can prevent.

For context, sun bears are the smallest bears on the planet. Enigmatic and endearing, they spend their time clambering around Southeast Asia’s jungles, searching for insects, eating honey and digging holes.

In doing so, they play a pivotal role in many tropical forests - they create nesting holes for birds, aerate soils for saplings and protect trees from insect blights. They’ve gained their name from the golden patch on their chest, said to resemble the rising sun.

But to certain conservationists they are affectionately known by a different name - cooking oil bears.

They absolutely love the stuff.

And herein lies the problem. Ever on the search for food, sun bears break into farmhouses to drink cooking oil, blissfully unaware that it wasn’t put there for their benefit.

The outcome can be bloody. It can destroy the livelihood of a local farmer and the retaliation can be fatal for the bear itself.

We have no idea how many sun bears there are left, but when combined with the threats of international wildlife trade and habitat loss this additional casualty count is more than they can cope with.

Their population is plummeting.

We need to act.

Through your donations, we’re working with park authorities to reduce the human-wildlife conflict. We're ensuring any encounters between animals and communities can be resolved without harm to either party and with minimal loss to people’s livelihoods.

We’re clearing any snares set to catch wild animals and, through your support, are ensuring that the suffering these cause becomes a thing of the past. That will not only save sun bears but many other animals like tigers who share their home.

THE RANGERS PROTECTING TIGERS AND SUN BEARS

 

Please help save these bears - if everyone reading this donates just £3 - you could help put patrols in the field to reduce the conflict and clear the snares. Thank you.