The Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus), also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear, is a medium-sized species of bear, largely adapted for arboreal life, seen across much of the Himalayas and the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Korea, northeastern China, the Russian far east and the Honshū and Shikoku islands of Japan. It is classed by the IUCN as a vulnerable species, mostly due to deforestation and active hunting for its body parts. The species is morphologically very similar to some prehistoric bears, and is thought by some scientists to be the ancestor of other extant bear species. Though largely herbivorous, Asian black bears can be very aggressive toward humans, and have frequently attacked people without provocation. The species was described by Rudyard Kipling as "the most bizarre of the ursine species."
Read more about Asian Black Bear: Local Names, Description, Behaviour, Distribution and Habitat, Legal Status, Threats
Famous quotes containing the words asian, black and/or bear:
“If he roars at you as you’re dyin’
You’ll know it is the Asian Lion.”
—Carolyn Wells (1862–1942)
“The realization that he is white in a black country, and respected for it, is the turning point in the expatriate’s career. He can either forget it, or capitalize on it. Most choose the latter.”
—Paul Theroux (b. 1941)
“[One cannot express lack of knowledge in affirmative language.] This idea is more firmly grasped in the form of interrogation: “What do I know?”Mthe words I bear as a motto, inscribed over a pair of scales.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)