Asiatic Black Bear

Asiatic Black Bear, common name for a medium-sized bear of Asia, also called the moon, collared, Himalayan, or Japanese black bear. It has a black, shaggy coat and a white, or sometimes brownish, V on its chest. It ranges widely over mountain ranges in Asia from Japan to Pakistan.

Females weigh about 50 to 125 kg (about 110 to 275 lb); males weigh about 100 to 200 kg (about 200 to 400 lb). Asiatic black bears have five long, thick, curved front claws on each foot for climbing trees and digging. The animals are nocturnal, sleeping by day in hollow trees or caves. They feed on succulent vegetation, berries, nuts, and insects. They breed from May to June. The females give birth to usually two cubs and skip at least two years between litters.

The Asiatic black bear is adapted best to forests. Although they are still abundant in Japan, the bears are losing habitat rapidly due to logging and agriculture. Like other Asiatic bears, the species is also threatened by increased hunting. The Asiatic black bear is considered aggressive and dangerous in close encounters, and, because of this reputation and its wide range, conservation of the species has been given insufficient attention. The ecology and biology of the bears are still poorly understood, and management is inadequate throughout their range.

Scientific classification: The Asiatic black bear belongs to the family Ursidae in the order Carnivora. It is classified as Ursus thibetanus.