Where does the Asian black bear live?
The Asian black bear lives from south-eastern Iran, Pakistan, India and the Himalayas to mainland South-East Asia, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, China and the Russian Far East, as well as the Japanese islands of Honshū and Shikoku. It typically inhabits deciduous forests, mixed forests and thornbrush forests. In summer it is usually found at around 3,500 m in the Himalayas, rarely above 3,700 m. In prehistoric times it ranged from the Iberian Peninsula to the Ural Mountains.
What does the Asian black bear eat?
The Asian black bear is a medium-sized bear, largely adapted to life in the trees. It is diurnal, but becomes nocturnal near human habitations. It is a good climber of rocks and trees: it climbs to feed, rest, sunbathe, elude enemies and hibernate. It is also known as the moon bear.
Is the Asian black bear endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. It is threatened by deforestation and by poaching for its body parts, which are used in traditional medicine. Today it occurs only very patchily in its former range, with just small remnant populations in South Korea and on the islands of Honshū and Shikoku.
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