Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen!  Step right up and learn about the Asian Black Bear here at Wild Facts! That’s right animal fans, today we are going to figure out exactly what an Asian Black Bear is.  Well I am excited so let’s dive right in shall we?

The Asian Black Bear is in the same genus as the regular old Black Bear found in North America but it is a different species.  The Asian Black Bear is found in the mountainous regions of Asia. Just so you know this bear is also referred to as the Moon Bear and the White Chested Bear (I wonder how they came up with that name).  This particular species of black bear weighs about 70 – 200 kilograms (154 – 441 lbs) and can get as tall as 2.1 m (7′). The majority of Moon Bears are smaller than this but I still wouldn’t mess with them.

If you are super excited to see these bears than you better get your energy drink out since the Asian Black Bear is nocturnal.  Yeah, they sleep during the day and only come out at night to feed.  While they are out roaming in the night sky they are looking for prey items such as small mammals, birds, amphibians and of course berries, nuts and other fruit.  To assist with reaching the fruit waaaay up in the trees the Asian Black Bear has very sharp, hooked claws.  This allows them to be very proficient climbers so if you are trying to get away from one of these guys, I don’t recommend climbing a tree.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) identifies the Moon Bear as Vulnerable.  Some of the main threats to their livelihood include poaching and deforestation as a result of human settlement.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and  I will see you back here a little later on.