‘Bear-y’ tasty treat for ‘small’ animal with ‘biggest personality’

Tearing apart a 9kg watermelon with her sharp claws, Mary the Malayan sun bear wastes no time getting nose deep in a bear-y sweet surprise.

Mary a sun bear enjoying a nice fruit treat at Taronga Zoo, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Tearing apart a 9kg watermelon with her sharp claws, Mary the Malayan sun bear wasted no time getting nose deep in a sweet surprise on Thursday.

Friday is her time to shine as Taronga Zoo celebrates World Sun Bear Day, created to raise awareness about the vulnerable species, which is characterised by its exceptionally long tongue.

Typically found feasting on ants, bees, beetles, honey and even sometimes small birds and deer in the tropical forests of southeast Asia, Taronga Zoo carnivore keeper Molly King said they were the smallest bear species in the world.

“(They are) the world’s smallest bear with the biggest personality,” Ms King said.

“Offering Mary the whole watermelon was super enriching.

Mary tucks into a watermelon. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“We saw her using her sense of smell to find the watermelon and, once she got to it, she was using her long claws and her long tongue to get all of the fruit out.”

Also known as honey bears due to their fondness for a sweet treat, there are believed to be fewer than 10,000 sun bears left in the wild.

Mary the sun bear enjoys a nice fruit treat at Taronga Zoo. Picture: Justin Lloyd

The species, renowned for its exceptional climbing ability, is threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade and poaching for their body parts and bile, which are used in traditional medicine.