Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus)

About Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus)

• The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) is a medium-sized bear species of the bear family (Ursidae) native to Asia.
• It is also known as the Moon Bear.
• Habitat: The species prefers heavily forested broadleaved and coniferous forestas as habitat.  
  • It uses orchards, agricultural fields and human habitation to move between forest patches.
• Distribution:
  • Global: It lives in a narrow band stretching from south-eastern Iran to Myanmar, across the Himalayan foothills.
  • In India: It is found across the Himalayan region, including Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and other northeastern states.
• Characteristics:
  • Common Name: It is commonly known as the Himalayan Black Bear and is locally called Reechh.
  • Appearance: It has smooth black fur with a white crescent-shaped or V-shaped mark on its chest.
  • Diet: It is an omnivorous species that feeds on insects, fruits, nuts, honey, small mammals, birds, and carrion.
  • Behaviour: It is an arboreal species that climbs trees to feed on fruits or honey or to escape intrusion, although it does not sleep on trees like the Sun Bear.
  • Hibernation: It usually hibernates during winter in the colder northwestern Himalayas, but it can remain active throughout the year in the warmer eastern Himalayas.
• Ecological Role: Its foraging habits help in seed dispersal and maintaining forest health.
• Threat:
  • Habitat loss
  • Poaching for body parts
  • Increasing human-wildlife conflict
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • Appendix I of CITES 
  • Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972