Forest destruction is known as a main environmental problem and a threat to many species in the forest, hence it is not surprising that one of the major known cause of the endangerment of Sun bears is the loss of their habitat. This loss is mostly caused by logging, clearance of the rainforests for agricultural purposes, and forest fires. Countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are clearing their forests to convert the land for oil palm, other cash crops and human settlements.
Logging roads also make it more convenient for poachers to access into the rainforests, hence make the chances of the Sun bears being poached higher than before as they will be closer to human settlements.
Source: Tangient
The clearing of the forests not only causes the sun bear to lose their habitat, they lose their source of food as well. Deforestation affects many species as the rainforests are so full of biodiversity, including the species’ own food sources. The combination of forest fires and drought will disrupt the fruiting patterns of the Sun bears, which is their main food in their diet. The loss of food source will eventually lead the bears to have to go to nearby villages to source for food from the crops, which will in turn cause another problem which will be covered under the ‘others‘ section.