Sun bears: Solar energy
Surrounded by the fantastic sights, sounds, and scents of the Asian tropical rain forest, you may forget the hectic jungle of the city for a moment. Our sun bear exhibit sits among thousands of exotic plants to help bears and Zoo visitors alike experience life in an Asian forest.
Bornean sun bears, the smallest bears in the world, are one of the most enjoyable animals to observe, especially here at the San Diego Zoo. The endangered sun bears, named for the golden crescents on their chests, often display their frolicsome nature. Extremely agile and often comical, sun bears are great tree climbers and make excellent use of their enclosure’s climbing structures.
In the wild, sun bears are getting fewer and fewer, due mainly to habitat loss from farming and logging, poaching (both for meat and use in medicines), and even the pet trade. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has a Species Survival Plan for sun bears, of which the San Diego Zoo is a participant. We are pleased that several cubs have been born here over the years!
