sun bear

noun

1. a small, black bear, Ursus ( Helarctos ) malayanus, of Southeast Asian forests, having a light muzzle and yellow chest markings.

sun bear

noun

1. a small bear, Helarctos malayanus, of tropical forests in S and SE Asia, having a black coat and a yellowish snout and feeding mostly on honey and insects Also calledhoney bear

Word History and Origins

Origin of sun bear¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

Apparently its Malayan sun bear looked surprisingly humanlike when it stood up on two legs to wave at visitors.

From Slate

In the widely shared video posted last Thursday, the Malayan bear, also known as a Sun bear, can be seen standing on its hind legs and stretching its neck out as it faces visitors watching from outside its enclosure, before sitting back down.

From Reuters

In the video, the sun bear is seen standing tall on the edge of its enclosure, holding its paws by its side and seemingly observing the zoo's visitors for itself.

From BBC

In a post written from the perspective of a sun bear, Hangzhou Zoo said: "Some people think I stand like a person... It seems you don't understand me very well."

From BBC

Also known as the honey bear for its love of honey, the Sun Bear is the smallest, least well-known and one of the rarest of all the bear species.

From Fox News