Naturalist Terry Domico was able to follow a young sun bear through the jungle on the island of Borneo. He noted that the animal hurried here and there, seldom staying long in one location. Northern bears can spend hours feasting on berries, spawning salmon, or a whale carcass. But such collections of food are rare in the tropics. Food plants often grow far apart, and edible animals seldom occur in enormous herds or schools.
Carrion spoils quickly in the tropical heat.
So sun bears must skim the forest floor, quickly snapping up whatever morsels they can find. Other food items include snails, eggs, lizards, rodents, fruit, and honey. Sun bears also eat the heart of coconut palms, killing the tree. In fact, they may revisit coconut plantation s , causing great damage. . Northern bears generally mate in spring or summer and give birth while hibernating in winter.