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WHAT ARE SUN BEARS AND HOW DO THEY MIMIC FACES?

Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) are the world’s smallest bears, found in Southeast Asian rainforests.

Unlike primates, which tend to show the most frequent and sophisticated use of facial expressions, sun bears don’t form large groups in which complex facial expressions would play an important role in communication. 

They are playful but are largely solitary animals. 

But the new research says that they can perform this complex form of social bonding. 

The bears, aged 2-12, were housed in a Conservation Centre in Malaysia in which enclosures were large enough to allow bears to choose whether to interact or not.

Despite the bears' preference in the wild for a solitary life, the bears in this study took part in hundreds of play bouts, with more than twice as many gentle play sessions compared to rough play.

During these encounters, the research team coded two distinct expressions - one involving a display of the upper incisor teeth, and one without. 

The bears were most likely to show precise facial mimicry during gentle play. 

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