Ecosystem Roles of the Malayan Sun Bear

Ecosystem Roles of the Malayan Sun Bear in the Wild

Photo: Wild Malayan Sun Bear in Tree Canopy

Credit: Siew Te Wong


Malayan Sun Bears, Helarctos malayanus, belong to the Class Mammalia and the Order Carnivora. Despite their order, Sun Bears are actually not true carnivores and typically utilize plants and fruits as a more common food base. Sun Bears, as with most charismatic megafauna, are incredibly important to the environment in which they live. Sun Bears fill a number of niches in their natural habitat. Among these niches, Sun Bears are integral units in the growth of forest vegetation. Due to their constant consumption of plant matter and vegetation of all life stages, Sun Bears aid in the dispersal of seeds in two ways. One way is the carrying of seeds on their fur which would be deposited as they travel across the forest. The second way is via Sun Bear excrement where seeds will have their protective coating broken down by the bears digestive system. These seeds will be deposited in the bears nutrient-thick waste which will fertilize and enable successful plant growth. Without the Sun Bear, vegetative biodiversity in Malaysia would drastically decline.

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http://carnivorecology.free.fr/pdf/MalayanBear.pdf