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Asiatic Black Bear or "Moon Bear of Tibet " is easily distinguished by the shape of a V or crescent area of white fur on its chest. This bear is also commonly called the Tibetan Black Bear or the Himalayan Black Bear. The Asiatic Black Bear live mainly in forested areas and spend much time high up in the trees, where they make nests of broken branches to sleep. They are found over a wide area of southern Asia. They occur along the mountains from Afghanistan, through Pakistan and northern India, Nepal, through to Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and north-eastern China. Separate populations are also known to be present in south-eastern Russia, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. In parts of their range, they share the habitat with Brown Bears. The Asiatic Black Bears' range is composed of highly isolated areas of land that are still the subject of human intrusion. The deforestation process and human encroachment is a cause for the loss of habitat. Cubs are weaned at less than six months old, but may stay with their mothers for two to three years. They live to around 25 years in the wild. They feed on a wide range of foods, including many plants, fruits, insects, invertebrates and carrion. A threat to the survival of both parents and cubs alike is the high incidence of illegal poaching. Whilst the adults are less likely to be taken for the illegal wildlife trade, the cubs are highly sought after and many adults are killed in defense of their young. In Pakistan cubs are taken from the wild for use in cruel practices as bear baiting. Almost half fail to survive the first few days. Once sold to kalanders, cubs have their teeth extracted and their sensitive muzzle pierced with a nose-ring, used to control the animals for the rest of their lives. The Asiatic Black Bear population is pressured by habitat destruction and cruel abuse in the bear bile farms. Here the bears are condemned to spend the rest of their natural lives, which can be up to 25 years, in restrictive cages, daily “milked” for their bile from a permanently implanted catheter. The Asiatic Black Bear is highly prized on the black market and that is why it is constantly being hunted. Additionally, it is a popular circus animal, and it remains a favored species for gall bladders and other bear parts used in traditional Asian medicine. It is a well known fact that the products from wild bears are sold in China. The decline of Asiatic Black Bear populations in China has endangered other bear species; wild bears are being killed for parts throughout Asia, North America and South America. Strict law enforcement is needed that will prevent the trade on international markets. Poachers have ravaged the Asiatic Black Bear population, which is now at a verge of extinction throughout most of its range. Asiatic Black Bears are expected to disappear soon. HELP Free the Bears Fund with Mary Hutton |