The Balochistan (or Baluchistan) black bear (''Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus'') is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

Asian black bear The Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, sout ...

occurring in the Balochistan Mountains of southern

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. It has an unusually thin coat for an Asian black bear, but this is because it is found in a warmer

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

than most of the other subspecies, which are found in the much colder

Himalayan Mountains The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

. It is also more

frugivorous A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts and seeds. Approximately 20% of mammalian herbivores eat fruit. Frugivores are highly dependent on the abundance and ...

than the other subspecies, and it loves to eat figs and bananas.

Characteristics

The Balochistan black bear has short, coarse fur ranging in colour from black to reddish brown. It is smaller than the other subspecies with a head and body length of including tail.

Distribution and habitat

The Balochistan black bear inhabits the hilly areas of the

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

province in southwest Pakistan. It has been recorded in the Sulaiman Mountains, Khuzdar District and

Kharan District Kharan district ( bal, هاران/خاران; ur, ) is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Demographics At the time of the 2017 census the district had a population of 162,766, of which 84,631 were males and 78,135 females. Rural ...

Behaviour and ecology

This species is omnivorous, as it eats fruits, insects, and small reptiles. It is also known for breaking logs in the hunt of grubs. Though they are omnivorous, their preferred diet is fruits, especially Indian olives and

Ber ''Ziziphus mauritiana'', also known as Indian jujube, Indian plum, Chinese date, Chinese apple, ber, and dunks is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related jujube, Chinese j ...

Threats

Balochistan black bears are captured by locals who try to raise them as pets for

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

es and

bear-baiting Bear-baiting is a blood sport in which a chained bear and one or more dogs are forced to fight one another. It may also involve pitting a bear against another animal. History Europe Great Britain Bear-baiting was very popular from the 12th ...

. In bear baiting, claws and canines of each bear are extracted and they are left to fight dogs. This practice was made unlawful and prohibited in 2001 but still occurs illegally to some extent.

Habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

is a major threat to this species because of

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a pro ...

, the growth of human population that leads to expansion of villages, development of highways network, and installation of power stations in the wild. It is now considered extinct in most of the area. Deforestation and loss of habitat is the greatest problem it faces. Local and nomad herders let their cattle graze in the bear territory and end up in killing the native bears, blaming them for the killing of their livestock. Poaching for body parts like gall bladders for medicines is also a threat to the species.

Conservation

In Pakistan, the Balochistan black bear is considered Critically Endangered.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4853062 Asiatic black bears Natural history of Balochistan, Pakistan Mammals of Pakistan