Abstract 989 – Sun Bear Conservation Action Plan: A Mid-term Assessment

Matt Hunt, Brian Crudge, Caroline Lees

Sun bears face significant threats from hunting and habitat loss, leading to declines in wild
populations across their range. Populations are predicted to continue to decline unless the
threats to this species are adequately addressed by conservation actions. In June 2019, the Sun
Bear Conservation Action Plan was launched. This 10-year plan was developed in a collaborative
and iterative process over several years, following the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning
Specialist Group’s One Plan Approach to integrate in-situ and ex-situ species conservation
planning. Prior to this initiative, of the 8 bear species, a global action plan had been created
only for the polar bear, making the sun bear the first terrestrial bear species with a range-wide
plan. The Sun Bear Conservation Action Plan details 19 objectives and 63 actions aimed at
attaining 5 overarching goals: (1) eliminating illegal exploitation; (2) protecting and restoring
habitats and populations; (3) devising and employing reliable monitoring methods; (4)
maximising ex-situ contributions to conservation; and (5) increasing cross-sectoral support and
collaboration for sun bear conservation. Implementation during 2019–2028 is coordinated by a
Sun Bear Action Plan Implementation Task Force, under the IUCN SSC Bear Specialist Group. At
this mid-point of the plan, we will assess progress against the indicators identified in the plan.
This project involves the “Assess” component of the Species Conservation Cycle. The action
plan included a status assessment of the species, and here, after planning and acting, we start
the second round in the cycle: measuring adherence to the plan’s goals, and effectiveness of
conservation actions. We will provide a critical evaluation of the Sun Bear Conservation Action
Plan, highlighting successful elements and identifying challenges hindering the implementation
of certain actions. The IUCN SSC is committed to ensuring that all Threatened species on the
Red List are covered by an effective conservation action plan (currently 41,200 species). Despite
being a small family of charismatic megafauna, challenges remain in developing species
conservation action plans for other Ursidae. This assessment of progress midway through the
Sun Bear Conservation Action Plan will help to refine expectations about the feasibility and
value of various conservation actions, contributing not only to sun bear conservation but also to
the broader goal of ensuring effective action plans for threatened species worldwide.