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Weight Development of Captive Malayan Sun Bears (Helarctos malayanus) in the Malaysian Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre

Muhammad Izzat-Husna, Noor Nabilah Nazri, Kamaruddin Zainul Abidin, Mohammad Saiful Mansor, Zubaidah Kamarudin, Rahmat Topani and Shukor Md Nor

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 31, Issue 5, August 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjst.31.5.03

Keywords: Captivity, ideal weight, National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC), von Bertalanffy equation, weight estimation

Published on: 31 July 2023

This study documents a cost-effective strategy for managing Malayan sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in the captive, focusing on their weight at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC), Perak, Malaysia. The weight and development of captive bears’ average aged of two months were assessed using data collected over 18 months. Asymptotic bear weight was estimated using the von Bertalanffy equation. The growth curves significantly differed between male and female bears, with males growing much larger than females from early to later growth stages. This study has determined three types of age classes of bears, where the age of adult Malayan sun bears are fully grown at 11 years and six months for males and eight years and nine months for females. Sub-adult bears ranged between one and six years old for males and one and four years for females, while cubs ranged from zero to one year old. Furthermore, the ideal weight for captive Malayan sun bears by age was also successfully determined. Such information is important for the management of this species in captivity. Ensuring the correct weight and age stage, among other criteria, could be useful for successfully releasing rehabilitated sun bears into their natural habitats.

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