Wildlifeof Nepal
Himalayan Black Bear
Bears, Dogs & Otters
Photo: Timur Kalininsky · CC-BY
Ursus thibetanus
Basic stats
Diet
Plants and some animal prey
Habitat
Forest
Range
Across Asia from Iran through the Himalayas to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan and Russia
Size
Length 120–190cm; shoulder height 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 captive animals can reach 225kg. Morphologically it represents the beginning of the tree-climbing specialisations seen in sloth bears and sun bears (Wikipedia, general species account).
Asian black bears are diurnal, though they turn nocturnal near human settlements. In the 1970s they were reported to kill and eat Hanuman langurs in Nepal, and surveys there have found nests, footprints and local sightings as evidence of their presence. Tigers prey mainly on young bears. Nationally Endangered (Nepal National Red List 2011).
Quick answers
- What does the Himalayan Black Bear eat?
- Plants and some animal prey
- What habitat does the Himalayan Black Bear live in?
- Forest
- Where is the Himalayan Black Bear found?
- Across Asia from Iran through the Himalayas to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan and Russia
- How big is the Himalayan Black Bear?
- Length 120–190cm; shoulder height 70–100cm; tail about 11cm
- How much does the Himalayan Black Bear weigh?
- Up to 225kg in zoo-kept animals