Sun bear predation on an oriental pied hornbill nest

Kunde, Miriam N. and Goossens, Benoît ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2360-4643 2021. Sun bear predation on an oriental pied hornbill nest. URSUS 2021 , pp. 1-4. 10.2192/URSUS-D-19.00018.1

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Abstract

Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) are opportunistic omnivores that feed predominantly on fruits and invertebrates, but predatory behavior by sun bears is rarely recorded. Although commonly described as a forest-dependent species, the sun bear is a generalist and seems to have some potential to adapt to changing environments. Here we report the first record of a sun bear predating on oriental pied hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) in their nest in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, during spring of 2019. It is a human-disturbed landscape surrounded by oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations, with the remaining degraded forest providing a wildlife corridor for Borneo's wildlife. The sun bears photographed by camera traps along the wildlife corridor, including the predatory bear, appeared to be in good condition, therefore evidently finding sufficient food resources. Their opportunistic feeding behavior, not necessarily food shortage, may allow them to take vulnerable prey, such as this low-nesting hornbill.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	INT ASSOC BEAR RESEARCH & MANA
ISSN:	1537-6176
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	3 August 2021
Date of Acceptance:	25 November 2019
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2023 17:31
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/143110

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