Hey! We are the Himalayan Black bear and yes, we are from the cold Himalayas. There are many important points to know about us. Have a look:
- We are well-known for our white V-shaped chest mark and are extremely dangerous for humans.
- You must be thinking we are kind of slow animals because of our clumsy walk. But that is not true! We are fast and we can run at speeds of 40 mph.
- Do you know? We, bears can walk on 2 legs as well as four limbs. Out of all bear species we are the species that walk mostly on 2 legs.
- Though we can stay active during the daytime, we are generally nocturnal and mostly sleep during the daytime.
- Do you know? We are quite intelligent bears and we are the kinds of bears that hibernate. We sleep from November to March.
- We are known from ancient times. In Hindu mythology, Jambavantha, a bear of our species who was believed to have lived from Treta yuga to Dwapara yuga has played an important role in assisting Lord Rama and also fight Lord Krishna in a battle for a jewel called Syamanthakamani.
- We are very powerful animals and can be seen fighting with other big predators.
SOME QUICK NOTES:
Our Scientific Name: Ursus thibetanus laniger.
Our Identification: Black bear with a round ears and white spot on chest.
Our Habitat: mixed forests, deciduous forests, and also deserts.
Our range:
Our Food habits: Omnivorous; feed on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, herbs, grains, larvae, termites, bees, other insects, wild boars, muntjacs, and other small animals.
Our Breeding Period: Mid-June to Mid-August.
Our Gestation Period: 200-240 days.
Number of cubs born: 1-4
Lifespan: 25 years in wild, more in captivity.
Estimated Population: unknown
IUCN red list status: Vulnerable
CITES: Appendix I
Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
Species: U. thibetanus
Sub-species: U. T. Laniger
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the Himalayan Black Bear, subspecies of Asian Black Bear. Let us tell you more about us and our species.
We are scientifically called as Ursus thibetanus laniger.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are 140cm-170cm tall and weigh 91kg-120kg. We have black fur on most of our body with white fur on the chin. We are distinguished by a special white V-shaped patch on our chest. We have bell-shaped ears with the light-brown muzzle. Our tail is 11cm long. We are slender and lightly build and look similar to brown bears. We have big arms and small hind legs with powerful claws. We walk upright and also on our four limbs.
Males and females of our species look alike and the young look similar to the adults.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in habitats like mixed forests, deciduous forests, and also deserts. Our range lies in Himalayas of India, Nepal, China, and Tibet.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous animals but mostly have herbivore diet. We primarily feed on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, herbs, and grains. We also feed on larvae, termites, bees, and other insects.
Sometimes we hunt small animals like wild boars, muntjacs, and others by breaking their necks.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
Our breeding season is from mid-June to mid-August. Behaviors like hugging and head bobbing can be seen during the mating period. The female gives birth to 1-4 cubs at a time in a cave or hollow tree. The gestation period is 200-240 days.
The young cubs are born blind and have a slow growth rate. They live with their mother for 24-30 months and leave their mother after that.
The average lifespan in the wild is 25 years. In captivity, the longest period our species ever lived is 44 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are distinguished from other subspecies by our longer and thicker fur and also by whiter chest mark.
We can climb trees, and rocks to feed, hibernate and rest. We can climb effectively than other bear species.
We are can walk on our hind legs and are the most bipedal of all the bear species.
We have powerful claws with which we climb and dig for food.
We become nocturnal when we live near humans.
We only hibernate in cold parts of our range.
We are among the bear species which are tamed for entertainment purposes for humans. We have high learning ability in captivity.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are listed as “Vulnerable” in the red list of IUCN and also listed on CITES Appendix I. This is due to population decrease caused by habitat destruction, pollution, and hunting. We are also protected under Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule II.
Our estimated population is about 50,000 individuals.
