Sulawesi Bear Cuscus

Conservation status: VULNERABLE
Common name: Sulawesi Bear Cuscus
Scientific name: Ailurops ursinus
Type: Mammal
Diet: leaves, flowers, buds, and unripe fruits
Length: 61 cm (without tail)
Weight: 7 – 10 kg

This bear-looking creature is known as the Sulawesi bear cuscus, an arboreal marsupial that is endemic to Sulawesi and few other neighboring islands.

These marsupials make use of their elongated claws and prehensile tail (that is almost as long as its body) to swing around branches. They can be found in pairs or small groups of three or four individuals in the upper canopy of lowland tropical rainforests.

Of course, like many other endangered species, this creature is also suffering from deforestation and poachers who hunt them down for their fur and meat. Although they are in a slightly better situation than some of their critically endangered cousins, Sulawesi bear cuscuses still need more attention and protection.

References:

1. “Species Profile: Sulawesi Bear Cuscus”. Rainforest Alliance, 2012, https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/sulawesi-bear-cuscus.
2. “Ailurops Ursinus (Bear Cuscus, Bear Phalanger, Sulawesi Bear Cuscus, Sulawesi Bear Phalanger)”. Iucnredlist.Org, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/40637/0.