Racine Zoo welcomes new species -- a sun bear named Fong

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 59) -- There's a new member species at the Racine Zoo! Fong is a 28-year-old sun bear who came from the Mesker Park Zoo, in Evansville, Indiana.

According to a news release from the zoo, sun bears are a tropical species that originate from Southeast Asia, from Northeast India through the Malayan peninsula, and Indonesia. 

Because of the unique environment they come from, warm temperatures and steady food supplies have removed the need for them to hibernate. 

Sun bears are omnivores and enjoy a diet of bugs, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and other sweet treats (like honey!), and only occasionally eat meat.

Sun bears are more adapted to arboreal life, with large claws on slightly turned-in front paws, that help make tree climbing easier. Sun bears are so comfortable in trees, they even build nests on larger branches and are known to sleep in tree branches as high as 25 feet.

Sun bears are very smart, and studies suggest they can even mimic human facial expressions! Though they are the smallest of the bear species, sun bears possess very large claws, canines and very strong jaws — all adaptations for ripping open logs in search of insects and honey.

Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, the zoo says sun bears are listed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

Fong is getting used to his new environment, according to the zoo, and is quickly making himself comfortable. He is participating in training sessions with his zookeepers and can even be seen checking out the bear habitat on warmer winter days.