Edinburgh Zoo'S Sun Bears

See Somnang and Rotana play in the indoor section of their enclosure at the Zoo!

Through our supporters' generosity, we have raised £13k for our Sun Bears Appeal so far! If you love sun bears and would like to support our conservation efforts, please give here: http://bit.ly/d6yWbB

See video of Somnang and Rotana arriving in their new enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo! http://bit.ly/chf1MA

The sun bears went on show to the public today! The two bears were exploring their enclosure and dangling from the climbing frame when I saw them. They look like they're having a great time! Make sure to stop by and say hello on your next visit, and in the meantime, check out the Zoo's sun bear cam! http://bit.ly/9gLiIy

Rotana and Somnang's first day out and about in their enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo.

Some photos showing the brand new, £150,000 enclosure for our two sun bears, Rotana and Somnang.

I had a sneak peek at our two wonderful sun bears today. Rotana and Somnang are looking fabulous! They've settled in really well and seem to be right at home in their great new enclosure. They will hopefully be on show later this week!

The Gardens team have been working hard to create a planting scheme to represent the tropical forest environment, with trees, shrubs and herbs that enrich the animals' lives and make them feel right at home.

Sun bears are the rarest species of bear in the world, classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers face serious threat in the wild due to rapid destruction of a habitat continuously logged for hard timber products, as well as from the illegal wildlife trade.

We hear that Rotana, a popular modern Cambodian name, gets very excited, searching high and low to sniff out hidden goodies. Somnang, meaning Lucky, takes things more slowly, usually meandering after Rotana who has put in the ground work. We can't wait to see this for ourselves!

Sun bears get their name from the crescent-shaped patch of fur on its chest that resembles the rising sun. Let’s hope they bring the sun to Edinburgh Zoo this summer!

We're really excited about welcoming the brothers as we're told that they're great little characters! Great friends, they love nothing more than rolling around on their backs licking honey and wrestling together in their swimming pool! Sounds like we have some even more entertaining times ahead at the Zoo :)

The sun bear enclosure is now finished and looking really great! It includes an indoor heated pool (lucky for some! ;)), indoor and outdoor climbing structures and a waterfall. There are also several enrichment devices to keep the bears stimulated, including clear honey boxes which allow you to see the bears using their long tongues as they reach in for treats!