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- Asiatic Black Bears are one of eight species of bear currently
living in the world and are listed
under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) in Appendix I - the most critical category of endangerment.
This listing means that no international trade (except under very
special circumstances) is allowed in either live Moon Bears or any of their
parts.
- Moon Bear mothers often give birth to twins and have strong
bonds with their cubs. Cubs will usually stay with their mother until
they are around 2 or 3 years old as she teaches them many of the skills
they’ll need in adulthood. The cubs learn by following and imitating
their mothers during the long period they are with her. Orphaned
cubs stand little chance of surviving even long after they have been weaned.
- The average sow (bear female) is 5 years old before she has
cubs. The
average boar (male) is 4 years old before he starts breeding.
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- Bears are resourceful and opportunistic, their diet consists
largely of
plants, fruits and other vegetable matter that is readily available.
They are omnivores and will also eat squirrels, mice and other small
mammals.
- Different bear species use different strategies to find and
catch their meals but all bears rely upon their powerful sense of
smell to help them locate a tasty morsel. Whether its a ripe berry
patch, a dripping honey comb or a seal sunning itself on the ice,
bears rely on their noses first to tell them it's dinner time.
- One of the reasons people have always been fascinated by bears
is that they can stand upright and even walk for short periods, just
like we do. That's because bears are plantigrade, that is, they walk
by pressing their heels against the ground.
Bears usually move about on all fours but often stand up on their
hind legs to have a better look around. They will also stand on
their hind legs when frightened or attacking freeing their fore legs
to scratch and claw at their foe.
Sadly the ease with which Moon Bears stand on their hind legs is a
characteristic often cruelly exploited for entertainment, such as
dancing bears in India, fighting bears in Pakistan and circus bears
in Vietnam, China and other parts of Asia.
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- Bears are solitary creatures in the wild and will pair only to
mate.
- At up to 220 kgs, males typically grow to approximately twice
the size of females, which weigh 60-130 kgs in the wild. However,
the females can often be dominant and can usually be distinguished
by the thicker ruff of fur around their neck.
- Moon Bears are typically four to six feet tall.
- Home territories are estimated to be between 4-8 miles.
- Moon Bears can survive for up to 35 years in captivity, though
usually live for 25 -30 years in the wild.
- Moon Bears are the most valued bears for Traditional Medicine,
most probably because the species was so abundant in the areas where
Traditional Medicine originated.
- It is estimated that there are as few as 25,000 left in the wild
worldwide.
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