Asiatic Black Bears are also known as the magical name of 'Moon Bears'. These adorable animals are one of the earth's many bear species. Today, the earth has a total of eight different bear species. These bear species are as follows: 1) Polar bears, 2) Brown bears, 3) North American black bears, 4) Sloth bears, 5) Panda bears, 6) Andean bears, 7) Sun bears, and 8) Asiatic black bears (or Moon bears, as they are also known).
What Is The Scientific Name For Asiatic Black Bears?
The scientific name for Asiatic black bears is Ursus thibetanus.
Are These Animals Known By Any Other Name?
Asiatic black bears are mostly referred to as 'moon bears', it is the other name that these animals are most frequently known by. But, it isn't the only name that these animals are known by.
Asiatic black bears are also known as the white-chested bear, the Tibetan black bear and, the Himalayan black bear. Some of these names are due to the Asiatic black bear having subspecies of the bear. There are many different subspecies of the Asiatic black bear. The subspecies of the Asiatic black bear are 1) the Himalayan black bear, 2) the Tibetan black bear, 3) the Ussuri black bear, 4) the Baluchistan bear, 5) the Indochinese bear, and, 6) the Formosan black bear.
Where Are Asiatic Black Bears Found?
Asiatic black bears are found in many different countries across Asia. These animals are found in the following countries across Asia: India, China, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Russia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Iran, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Korea, and Japan.
What Type Of Habitats Are They Found In?
These bears can be found in many different habitats in the wild. They can be found in forests, grasslands, wetlands, and shrublands in the wild across Asia today.
What Is The Conservation Status Of These Bears?
Asiatic black bears are vulnerable today, which is one step away from them becoming an endangered species. Therefore, these animals are vulnerable to extinction.
What Is The Population Trend Of These Bears?
The population of the Asiatic black bear is declining.
What Is The Population Of These Bears?
It's not known how many Asiatic black bears there are in the wild today.
What Types Of Threats Do These Bears Face?
One of the biggest threats to Asiatic black bears is that these animals are used in bear bile farming. Bear bile farming is a type of farming where people extract bile from conscious bears (bile is a type of fluid that is found within the bears, it is used in things like traditional Chinese medicine). Bear bile farms exist in both China and Vietnam. There are thought to be 12,000 Asiatic black bears held captive in bear bile farms today.
Bear bile farming is cruel to bears. Bears are sadly forced to live in tiny cages that they can't move about in. The below picture is an example of a bear within a bear bile farm.
Bear bile farming is only one of the threats which Asiatic black bears face, there are many other threats that Asiatic black bears face. These threats include deforestation and dams.
Deforestation of the Asiatic black bear's habitat has two threats towards these animals. The first threat that it has towards these animals is, that deforestation destroys one of their habitats. If their habitat is destroyed, then they have a decreasing amount of space to live in, which in turn results in the population of the Asiatic black bear decreasing. Another threat that deforestation causes to Asiatic black bears is that it results in the bears coming into contact and conflict with humans.
The Good News For Asiatic Black Bears
There is good news for Asiatic black bears though. Two recent stories over the last two years have shown encouraging news for the Asiatic black bear. One of the more positive stories for Asiatic black bears over the last few years was that it was reported in 2018 that Vietnam's bear bile farms were collapsing and declining in popularity. Another report out in 2019 showed a similar story, where it was reported that bear bile farms were in decline.
Bears that were once held captive in bear bile farms have been rescued in the past and in recent times. For example, in January 2020, the charity FOUR PAWS international rescued seven bears used in bear bile farms. Another wildlife charity that helps moon bears is Born Free.
If you want to help moon bears you can adopt a moon bear with Born Free.
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