In News: The Kashmir Valley has bucked the trend of Asiatic black bear attacks on humans rarely reported throughout the animal’s global range.
Asiatic Black Bear
Scientific name – Ursus thibetanus
It is also called Himalayan bear, Tibetan bear, or moon bear
It has a glossy black (sometimes brownish) coat with a whitish mark shaped like a crescent moon on the chest.
Its long, coarse neck and shoulder hair forms a modified mane.
It is omnivorous, eating insects, fruit, nuts, bees and honey, small mammals, and birds as well as carrion.
It occasionally attacks domestic animals.
They are generally nocturnal, sleeping in caves or tree hollows during the day
During the summer the Asiatic black bear lives mainly in forested hills and mountains at elevations up to 3,600 metres (11,800 feet).
Becoming fat by fall, it spends the winter at elevations of 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) or less and may sleep for much of the time.
An adult male weighs 100–200 kg (220–440 pounds), a female about half as much; its length averages about 130–190 cm (51–75 inches), in addition to a 7–10-cm (3–4-inch) tail.
Asiatic black bears may live as long as 25 years in the wild and up to 39 years in captivity.
IUCN status – Vulnerable
All Indian Bear species are listed under Appendix I in CITES and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
This provides complete protection to the species from hunting and trade.
