Sadly, these two bear species are used in the bear bile farms throughout Vietnam.
[Read more about the bear bile trade in Vietnam] | ||||
Asiatic Black Bears - Vital Statistics
Found: Asiatic black bears live in eastern Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Taiwan and Vietnam. Appearance: Asiatic black bears all have a white crescent, or moon-shaped marking, on their chest. The fur around the shoulders and throat is particularly long, and their ears are relatively large and set wide apart on a large round head. Life Span: 25-30 years. Body Length: 130-190cm. Adult Male Weight: 200-450 pounds. Adult Female Weight: 110-275 pounds. Habitat: Heavily forested areas in hills and mountainous regions. Diet: Omnivorous. Feeds on both plants and animals. Their diet varies with availability and location and includes buds, fruits and nuts, berries, small animals and birds, insects and honey. Conservation Status: The subspecies U.t.gedrosianus (Baluchistan) is listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as Critically Endangered. The Asiatic Black Bear is also listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals. They are listed as Appendix I in CITES. | ||||
Malayan Sun Bear - Vital Statistics
Found: Tropical to subtropical regions of Southeast Asia - Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Vietnam, Laos, Burma and possibly southern China.
Appearance: Covered with a black coat made of sleek, short hairs Sun Bears are named for the golden crescent, or "U" shaped golden patch on their chest. Their long, pointed claws are curved with hairless soles, likely as an adaptive measure to help in climbing trees. The ears of the sun bear are smaller and rounder than those of other bears. Sun bears also have a long tongue to lick up honey and grubs. Life Span: Up to 25 years. Body Length: 100-150cm. The sun bear is the smallest living bear species in the world. Adult Male Weight: 60-140 pounds. Adult Female Weight: 20% less than the male. Habitat: Sun bears inhabit lowland tropical rainforests. They are quite arboreal and are believed to sleep in trees. Diet: Omnivorous, using front paws for most of feeding activity. Sun Bears eat rodents, lizards, small birds, fruit, soft growing parts of palm trees and honey trees are torn open in search of wild bee nests and for insects and their larvae. Conservation Status: Sun bears are listed in CITES as Appendix I. | ||||
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