About Moon Bears

The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus Selenarctos Thibetanus) is often called the Moon Bear. The name is related to the crescent moon found on the bears' chest. The Moon Bear is an endangered species, due to the harvesting of its gallbladder.

Photo�� Animals Asia Foundation

Description:
Moon Bears weigh from 110 lbs. to 450 lbs. and live in high altitude forests from Pakistan to Japan. They sleep in trees or caves and their diet consists of fruit, vegetables, insects, small animals, honey and carcasses. They have a large vocabulary, making clucking sounds during play and "tut-tut-tut" sounds in warning. This species is similar in size and appearance to the American black bear, although the fur is longer, soft, and shaggy. Adult males weigh from 200 to 255 pounds (92-116 kg.) and adult females weigh between 110 and 225 pounds(50-102 kg.).

The Asiatic black bear is an excellent tree climber, as are most of the bear species. Range: They are found in forested areas throughout southern Asia, from Pakistan to the islands of Japan. They are thought to prefer mountainous areas and have been found at elevations of 10,000 feet (over 3,000 meters) during summer months.

Reproduction: Pregnant females den. Females leave the den with their young (usually one or two cubs) in May. Gestation is not known. Cubs stay with mother for about 2 years. Life Span: Up to 24 years (33 years in captivity).

Predator/Prey Relationship: Diet includes fruits, buds, invertebrates, and carrion. Domestic livestock is sometimes taken, and animals as large as adult buffalo are killed by breaking the neck. Hunted by man. 2000 International Union for Conservation's(IUCN)

Red List Status: Vulnerable. The population of Asiatic black bears in the wild has declined steadily, due to loss of habitat and the harvesting of their bile and body parts. For complete listings and criteria, please visit http://www.redlist.org.

The Moon Bear is also classified endangered by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Moon Bears are the species most impacted upon by the trade in bile and gall bladders. According to a statement made by a China CITES official during a bear trade conference in South Korea in 1999, China is manufacturing 13,895 lbs. of bile from 7,002 Asiatic black bears held on 247 farms across the country. Farmed bear bile sells for US$1-9 in China, while a whole gall bladder in South Korea sells for about US$18,00. In Japan the average price for a wild bear gall bladder is US$33 per gram.

Smugglers try to avoid detection by dipping whole gall bladders in chocolate and calling them chocolate figs, or hiding them in strong smelling substances like coffee. Synthesized (non-bear) bile is now sold worldwide. About 100 tonnes is consumed annually in China, Japan and South Korea. The USA's black bear population is now being targeted in the illegal trade in bear products.

Other Information: The Asiatic black bear and the American black bear share similar habits as well as a common ancestor, Ursus minimus, which appeared about 5 million years ago.

Thanks to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): http://www.cites.org
Animals of Asia Foundation:http://www.animalsasia.org
American Bear Association: http://www.americanbear.org/otherbears.htm
for the information on this page.