The Asiatic bear species lives in eastern Asia. They can be found
in alpine and tropical forested hills and mountain regions of Afghanistan, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, India, Iran, Russia and
Taiwan. They are thought to be the closest bear relative of the American
black bear. They are also known as the Himalayan black bear, the Tibetan black
bear or the moon bear.
These bears are black with a whitish or creamy colored ‘Y’ on their chest. They have large ears and
their hair is extra long and fluffy around their neck and shoulders. In the bear world they would be considered medium sized.
This bear is a little more fierce than other species and will attack humans if threatened or surprised.
They tend to spend a lot of time in trees in order to avoid their main
predator...people. Asiatic bears make “nests” in trees for sleeping in the summer months and use twigs to make comfortable beds in the snow in winter.
Asiatic bears are, like all other bears, omnivores. Their diet consists of plants, berries, insects, and carrion. They are not fussy about their
food. Because their habitat is shrinking due to human population and farmland spreading into their habitats, they have been known to
wander onto farms to hunt domestic animals like sheep or goats. Naturally, farmers do not like this and will shoot any bear they
see on their land.
