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- Asiatic Black Bear, Himalayan Black Bear
Asiatic Black Bear, Himalayan Black Bear
Carnivora Ursidae
Ursus thibetanus
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The Asiatic Black Bear lives in many countries in Asia. You can tell them by the crescent moon pattern on their chests. They are in danger of extinction now because the forests where they live are being cut down and because they are used in medicine.
Height at the shoulder: 50-120cm
Tail length: 6-10.5cm
Weight: Male 50-120kg/Female 40-70kg
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
The Asiatic Black Bear lives in many countries across Asia from Iran to Japan.
The Asiatic Black Bear mainly eats nuts and fruit. It sometimes eats animals and insects as well.
Compared to other bears, the Asiatic Black Bear is small and does not often attack other animals. It is not as scary as you might think at first.
Find out more about the Asiatic Black Bear!
Coming down from the mountains in search of food
The Asiatic Black Bear lives across Asia. You can tell them by the white mark on their chest, which is shaped like a crescent moon. One of the reasons why the number of Asiatic Black Bears is decreasing is because forests are being cut down. They mainly eat nuts and fruit, so if the forests where their food comes from disappear, they will not be able to find food and may die out. Many Asiatic Black Bears hang around villages when they are hungry and unfortunately have to be killed. This is pushing them even closer towards extinction.
Many bears are sacrificed for medicine
The gall bladders (one of the internal organs) of Asiatic Black Bears have long been sold as an expensive medicine. One of the factors driving the bears towards extinction is overhunting for their use in medicine. The pain that bears feel when medicine is made is also a problem. The bears are kept in cages where they cannot move, a pipe is put into their gall bladders and a fluid is removed for use in medicine. The process is very cruel.
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