Their habitat ranges from northern Iran to south-east Asia including Japan, and in the Himalayas up to an elevation of around 4,000 meters. The Asiatic black bear inhabits forested, mountainous areas and descends to lower elevations in the winter. The Asiatic black bear or ‘Moon bear’ owes his name to the prominent V- or Y-shaped light-coloured mark on its chest. It has a round head with disproportionately large ears that stick out sideways from the head.The long and coarse fur is mostly jet-black, occasionally dark brown.

Diet
The diet of the Asiatic black bear consists mainly of fruits and vegetables, such as roots, acorns, grains, berries and nuts. They will also prey on mammals, like sheep or goats.

Hibernation
The Asiatic black bear hibernates for a few months during the winter, although not all bears go into hibernation. This really depends on the area they live in. Bears that live in colder areas tend to hibernate. Pregnant females will also go into hibernation.

Social behaviour
The Asiatic black bear is primarily solitary, except during mating season. The bears do not usually show aggression towards their own kind. Not much is known about Asiatic black bears in the wild.

Status
The IUCN-status of the Asiatic black bear is listed as ‘Vulnerable’. Poaching for certain parts of the body, mainly for the gall bladder, as well as loss of habitat form a threat to the Asiatic black bear population. This brings the bears ever closer to areas inhabited by humans. In addition, agriculture increases which leads to conflicts between humans and animals. The Asiatic black bear preys on cattle and attacks on humans have also increased.

Factsheet Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus)