Why In News?

Researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) documented the first verified photographic evidence of an Asiatic black bear preying on an endangered red panda.  

What Is The Asiatic Black Bear?

Identity And Appearance

  • Species: The Asiatic black bear is a medium-sized bear native to Asia. It is also called the Himalayan black bear or “moon bear”.  

  • Distinctive Marks: It has black fur with a “V” or crescent-shaped light beige to white patch on its chest, and a small white spot on its chin. 

  • Tree Climber: It is unusual among bears for its arboreal lifestyle. It is an excellent climber and swimmer, often seen foraging in fruit trees or near rivers.  

Habitat And Distribution

  • Habitat: It prefers dense broadleaved and coniferous forests. It also uses orchards, farmland and settlements to move between forest patches.  

  • Asian Range: It is found across South, Southeast and East Asia, including India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Iran, Japan and South Korea. 

  • Indian Range: In India, it occurs across the Himalaya from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, and in the hills of Northeast India. It occupies forests up to about 4,300 m.  

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Diet And Behaviour

  • Omnivore: It eats berries, cherries, acorns, insects, squirrels and frogs. 

  • Hibernation: Bears at higher altitudes typically hibernate from late November to March.  

Conservation Status

Framework

Status

IUCN Red List

Vulnerable

CITES

Appendix I

Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Schedule I

About Red Panda 

  • Unique Mammal: The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a small, tree-dwelling mammal of the Eastern Himalaya. It is the only living member of the family Ailuridae. 

  • Close Relatives: Despite sharing a name, they are not closely related to giant pandas (which belong to the bear family, Ursidae). Their closest living relatives include raccoons, skunks, and weasels.

  • Subspecies: Yarlung Zangbo River (or Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh) acts as the natural split between the two subspecies.

    • Himalayan Red Panda (A. f. fulgens) – Found in Nepal, Bhutan, India (Sikkim, Darjeeling-Kalimpong in West Bengal), and Southern Tibet.

    • Chinese Red Panda (A. f. styani) – Found in southeastern Tibet, Northern Myanmar, and Sichuan/Yunnan provinces in China.  

  • Diet: It feeds mainly on bamboo leaves and shoots.  

  • Habitat: High-elevation temperate mixed deciduous and conifer forests (1,500 to 4,000 meters).

  • Range In India: It is found in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal. It is the state animal of Sikkim. 

  • Behavior: Shy, solitary, nocturnal/crepuscular, and largely arboreal (tree-dwelling).

  • Status: It is Endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed in CITES Appendix I and Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act. 

Source: TIMESOFINDIA

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: The photograph of an Asiatic black bear preying on a red panda proves that the Asiatic black bear is an obligate carnivore.

Statement-II: Asiatic black bears are omnivores that feed mainly on fruits, nuts and insects, but occasionally take animal prey.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

Statement-I is Incorrect: An obligate carnivore depends almost entirely on meat. A single predation record shows opportunistic hunting, not a meat-only diet. 

Statement-II is Correct: The Asiatic black bear is an omnivore that eats mainly berries, acorns and insects, and occasionally small animals.