[PHOTOS] Malayan Sun Bears Are Being Brutally Slaughtered In Sarawak
The mini bears are in a 'vulnerable' state due to massive deforestation and high demand for bear products.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 02 Dec 2016, 11:57 AM
Photos of sunbears being brutally slaughtered have been going viral on social media.
A Facebook page called 1SABAH posted seven gruesome photos that showed a bloody, freshly butchered Malayan sunbear.
1SABAH posted the status and photos on 27 November.
What's really disturbing is that one of the photo showed a man who was standing and smiling with a dead sun bear leaned against him
The Malayan sun bear is actually the smallest bear in the world, weighing about 140 pounds (64kg) at the height of around 4 feet (1.2m). The name sun bear comes from the golden crescent on their chest. While they may be small, sun bears can still be very dangerous.
Sadly, due to massive deforestation, the sun bears have been classified as 'Vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their global population has decreased greatly by more than 30%.
These mini bears are said to be skillful climbers thanks to to their long sickle-shaped claws on their feet. They use the claws to dig for honey and grubs. Sun bears are omnivores and their diet includes fruits, insects, small mammals, and birds.
Wildlife conservation groups noted that Malayan sun bears' habitats are destroyed by logging, agriculture and a disturbingly high demand for bear products. It was noted that traditional Asian medicine uses bear fat, gall, meat, paws, spinal cord, blood, and bones for various health issues ranging fro baldness to rheumatism. Also, there have been reports about how there are some people who kill mother sun bears to keep their cubs as pets.
