HIMALAYAN OR ASIATIC BLACK BEAR (Selenarctos thibetanus):
Distribution: The Asiatic black bear ranges from Pakistanthrough Nepaland Sikkim to Bhutanand into China,Southeast Asia and the Amur region of the USSR.
Distinctive characters: It is black in color and covered
with long hairs. Length of large male ranges from 140-165 cm. Weight upto 400
lbs. Life span is 40 years. Carry its baby on the back. They have distinct
whitish V shaped breast patch.
Habitat: Himalayan Black bear primarily occur in the upper
subtropical and lower moist temperate zones. These inhabitants of steep
forested hills and georges may range upto the tree line during summer, but
rarely much spend time in the alpine zone. In the Arun valley, black bears inhabit
Sal-Castanopsis, Castanopsis and Rhododendron forests as well as forests with
bamboo groves.
Habit: The Himalayan Black bear is solitary and primarily
nocturnal, although animals may be active in the late afternoon or early
morning. They spend the daytime resting in rock caves, rock crevices, tree
hollows or thick undergrowth. However, they tend to be somewhat crepuscular or
somewhat diurnal where protected from human interference. Unlike the Brown
bear, this species freely climbs trees in order to forage. It may use rest
platforms in trees made of branches broken while feeding.
The black bear mates in late autumn; the toung generally two
or more; are born in the winter and raised in maternal den.
The Himalayan Black bear is omnivorous, but requires relatively
nutrient rich food sources. The diet varies with season consisting of grasses,
buds and blossoms, acorns, other wild friuts and berries, crops, insects and
meat.
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