|
This species is internationally protected from trade by Appendix I of CITES and is listed as data deficient by the IUCN Redlist meaning there is not enough known about the species status in the wild to determine its extent of threat. A new founder population of 20 bears from Borneo has recently been imported to begin captive breeding of a population of known subspecies. These animals were wild caught and all were rescued/confiscated from Malaysians keeping them as pets. Captive reproduction in this species has been difficult at best. There is now a large unbalance in male/female ratio within the captive population that may make importation of new male founders a necessity.
Currently, field studies are being conducted through use of radio collars and camera traps studying activity patterns, home range size, and social and dietary habits of wild sun bears. The primary threat to the survival of the wild sun bear is continued loss of habitat to deforestation from clear cutting for the timber industry, conversion of land to plantations and forest fires. Sun bears are also persecuted by farmers as pests. Another major threat to sun bears is the trade in live bears or bear parts for the pet, restaurant and traditional medicine industries.
|