Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre

The excellent Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre at Sepilok rescues and facilitates the rehabilitation of the Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) back into the wild. Sun bears are found in the tropical lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia and are the world's smallest bears, with adults around just 120 to 150 centimetres tall and weighing in at 20 to 70 kilograms.

Travel better, travel smarter

Save money, receive our latest updates and get the most out of your travels.

Sun bears are loveable. So loveable in fact that many get captured and sold as pets and once they get big… well, you know the story. That along with threats to their habitat and the trade in bear parts for “medicine” has put these adorable creatures on the vulnerable list. After the giant panda, sun bears are the second rarest bear species. Their fur is black or dark brown with a unique orange to cream marking on their breast, said to resemble a rising sun which gives them their name. They are omnivores, but especially like bees and honey and have an extremely long tongue for getting it out of sticky places (20-25 centimetres). In Malay they are known as “beruang madu”, or literally ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 300 words.)

Get the full story.
Create an account.

Join Travelfish

Becoming a Travelfish subscriber costs A$35 for a year. Benefits include:
1) Full access to the site
2) 250+ PDF guides
3) Discount coupons
4) 50% off our travel planning service
5) And of course, our gratitude and a warm fuzzy feeling for helping us stay in business!