Sun Bear Day is observed on the third Friday in May every year. It highlights a threatened bear species, the sun bear, native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, occurring in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, among others. It is the smallest of all types of bears, reaching 70 centimetres when standing. Their shy and elusive nature led them to be used as pets in the past. According to the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, the sun bear population has declined by 35% in the thirty years due to habitat fragmentation, deforestation, wildlife trade, and loss of food resources.Sydney's Taronga Zoo has a sun bear, Mary and and you can see and read about her here.
There are three books in the library about sun bears.
It is also Endangered Species Day which is appropriate because sun bears are a threatened species. An endangered species is a plant or animal facing extinction if its population numbers do not increase. There are a large number of animals and plants that are endangered and may books cover these either specifically or in a general text such as these:
And coming later this year
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