Sun bears tuck into fruit-flavoured jellies at Thai zoo

Zookeepers prepared fruit-flavoured jellies to welcome two new sun bears at a zoo in Thailand.

Pluem, a 13-year-old male, and Butsaba, a 20-year-old female, tucked into the refreshing desserts at the Khon Kaen Zoo in Khon Kaen province on August 22.

Zoo director Tipawadee Kittikoon said the pair arrived on June 12 to breed.

He said: 'They underwent health checks and were monitored for around 30 days before being transferred to the exhibition area on August 12.'

Zoo staff gave Pluem and Butsaba fruit jellies made from watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapples, and honey to cool off from the heat. The jellies were stuffed in bamboo hollows 'to encourage the bears' natural instincts'.

Footage shows the hungry animals digging out their meal from the bamboo containers left in their enclosure.

Visitors can see the new sun bears at the Khon Kaen Zoo, which is open daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

The Malayan sun bear is native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and is distinguished by its short black fur and a characteristic pale, crescent-shaped patch on its chest.

It typically forages at night for insects, fruits, and seeds. It also known to occasionally eat vertebrates like birds and deer.

The sun bear is a protected animal under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act and is classified as 'vulnerable' according to the IUCN Red List.

The Malayan Sun Bear is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.