Wildlifeof Bhutan
Asian Black Bear
Bears, Dogs & Otters
Photo: Timur Kalininsky · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Ursus thibetanus
Basic stats
Diet
Plants and some animal prey
Habitat
Forest; largely arboreal
Range
Across Asia from Iran through the Himalayas, including Bhutan
Size
Length 120–190cm; shoulder 70–100cm; tail about 11cm
Weight
Up to 225kg in zoo-kept animals
The Asian black bear is a medium-sized bear largely adapted to life in the trees, with a short tail around 11cm long. Adults stand 70 to 100cm at the shoulder and measure 120 to 190cm in length, and zoo-kept animals can reach 225kg. It represents the beginning of the tree-climbing specialisations seen in sloth and sun bears (Wikipedia, general species account).
Asian black bears are diurnal, though they turn nocturnal near human settlements. Surveys of bears have relied on evidence such as nests, footprints and local sightings. Tigers prey mainly on young bears, and one fatal tiger attack on a juvenile Asian black bear has been recorded in Jigme Dorji National Park in Bhutan.
Quick answers
- What does the Asian Black Bear eat?
- Plants and some animal prey
- What habitat does the Asian Black Bear live in?
- Forest; largely arboreal
- Where is the Asian Black Bear found?
- Across Asia from Iran through the Himalayas, including Bhutan
- How big is the Asian Black Bear?
- Length 120–190cm; shoulder 70–100cm; tail about 11cm
- How much does the Asian Black Bear weigh?
- Up to 225kg in zoo-kept animals