Endangered Asiatic Black Bears

(“Jasper walking the rainbow bridge.” By Jeanette McDermott, 14 March 2011)

The Asiatic Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus) is found in forested areas, forest biomes, on the Asian continent.  Their habitats range from Afghanistan and Iran all the way to Japan, going as far south as India and as far north as Russia (BBC).  Part of what has caused these bears trouble is them becoming to “friendly” with us humans, leaving them unsure how to react when we come around (KOCCA).

Ecological Description of Organisms

            The bears prefer to live in forests that are hilly or mountainous.  They tend to eat more meat than the American Black Bear but still maintain a very meager amount of meat consumption, eating mainly small animals and fish.  Their diet consists mostly of plants, seeds, fruits, and berries (BBC).  Its main ecological relationship with other species is its seed distribution from plants and trees by travelling a relatively great distance each day and releasing the eaten seeds through defecation (Koichi).  The Asiatic Black bear is also called the “moon bear” because of a white crescent shape across their chest (National Geographic).  They also have long black fur and large round ears, staying mostly solitary except for the mothers and children (BBC).

Summary of the Problem

            Most of the problem that the Asiatic Black Bear faces is deforestation, or habitat loss.  Another huge problem is hunting.  Although they are protected in some ways, Russia and Japan still allow the hunting of these bears.  By Russian traditional bear hunting standards, hunters waited until fall when the bears were hibernating and drug the bear out of the den and shot them.  If there were cubs with a mother that was killed, they were left there to die, causing a double hit to the species by basically killing two generations (National Geographic).  The taxonomy for the Asiatic Black Bear is as follows:

Kingdom- Animalia

Phylum- Chordata

Class- Mammalia

Order- Carnivora

Family- Ursidae

Genus- Ursus

Species- Ursus thibetanus

(WolframAlpha)

History of the Problem

            The first problem for the Asiatic Black bear was in Old China, where it was believed that the gall bladder of the bear contained a very powerful medicine.  Then as time moved on the bears were/are hunted because of their pestulance to farmers, constantly climbing their trees for fruits and endangerment to their herds.  Because of this they are often considered to be pests and are trapped and killed.  Now due to their declining numbers, many people want their body parts, such as their paws and claws, due to their rarity (Bear Planet).  In recognition of these facts I would have to say the problem has worsened.  Lack of action on the local governments to stop hunting and deal proper punishment for hunting these animals has led to the bears current situation.

Preferred Solutions

            Many countries containing the bears have enacted a no hunting policy on them, listing them as a vulnerable species.  I would propose a strict no tolerance policy on anyone caught hunting the bears, with fines ranging from really high to super high with a minimum of 5 years imprisonment to top it off.  In addition, I would enact a proactive system of protection by having wildlife rangers stationed throughout the forests, constantly surveying for would-be poachers.  Unfortunately, as stated before Japan and Russia still allow legal hunting of these bears so while some of the measures taken may be working, they are constantly being undermined.  If Japan and Russia were to get on board with the surrounding countries, there is a very good chance for the survival of the Asiatic Black Bear.

Reference Citations

- “Asiatic black bear, Tibetan black bear, Himalayan black bear, moon bear.” BBC. BBC, July 2008. Web. 10 April 2011.

- “Asiatic black bear.” Wolfram Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine. Wolfram Alpha LLC, July 2010. Web. 10 April 2010.

- “Asiatic Black Bears.” The Bear Planet facts about Bears for all species of Bears. Bear Planet, 2006. Web. 10 April 2011.

- Koichi Kaji, et al. "Estimate of the seed shadow created by the Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus and its characteristics as a seed disperser in Japanese cool-temperate forest." Oikos 120.2 (2011): 280-290. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.

- “Orphaned ‘Moon Bear’ cubs ‘Mothered’ by Scientists.” National Geographic. National Geographic, May 2010. Web. 10 April 2011.

- “KOREAN MOVIES: SBS Documentary ‘Asiatic Black Bears Returned to Nature.’” Korea Creative Content Agency. KOCCA, Jan. 2011. Web. 19 April 2011.