THE ASIAN BLACK BEAR OF PRIMORYE* By Alexey Zborovskiy
* Translated from Russian by both the World Society for the Protection of Animals - volunteer Caroline Yates and the author. Photos, if not signed, by author.
	Photo 1. By Roman Anosov

PART 1.

Key aspects of the species biology in Primorye

Names

The scientific name for the species in Russia is the Himalayan bear (latin: Ursus thibetanus). Scientists of U.S. and European countries would rather call him the Asian black bear (ABB - below), or the moonbear. Species was originally abundant throughout forests of South East Asia, including famous Himalayas. In Russia, this bear is found only in the Primorye (syn.: Primorskiy Kray) and in South Khabarovskiy Kray (see map from Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection, the Univ. of Texas at Austin below). The local names for this bear (in mentioned regions of Russia) are: the white-breasted bear (“be-lo-groud-kah”), the black bear.

Peculiarities of the outer appearance of the Himalayan bear

Thick black fur grows round the neck like a mane, the face is somewhat elongated with rounded ears positioned high up on the head (photos 1, 2), massive shoulders. All this, plus a noticeable white mark on the chest (reminiscent of a seagull in flight, or a young moon) compose the portrait of our hero.

Most Himalayan bears have black paws, some wear white “gloves” and/or “socks”, few even own white claws!

Photo 1 - The Hymalayan bear.

By Alexei Bezrookov ([email protected])

Nature’s competitors

The Himalayan bear is rather a large vegetarian, than large predator. For this reason, he is hunted not only by Man, but tigers and even brown bears (last particularly often attack during the period when food is scarce). When in danger, the Himalayan bear scrambles up a tree, where he can sit it out for days (photo 1). Neither a tiger nor a brown bear is capable of scrambling up the thick trunk of a tree devoid of any branches. The Himalayan bear can do this thanks to his light weight and short sharp nails.

Most Himalayan bears would run away when meeting people. Female, accompanied by her cubs, may charge a human. Such attacks, as rule, result in spooking or several wounding of a Man. For the only female's purpose is to protect her off-springs and not to kill anybody! In the past, most men, who get into such troubles, were hunters with guns, but now, as the forests disappear and the bears have less and less room for themselves, any adult male person can be charged by either female or even male Himalayan bear** in the taiga.

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** The solution would be to follow few simple rules when visiting bear forests these days: 1) wear a bear-spooking (not a bear-killing one!) -weapon; 2) don't approach bear cubs; 3) avoid places of high concentration of crows (last can be detected distantly by croaks). Crows are usually point on the presence of either bear or tiger on a kill. The one, who acts like another crow – i. e. disturbes our brothers while they eat, falls into a grate risk!

Feed

Through spring-summer season the Himalayan bear feeds mainly on juicy greens and a ration of small animals – particularly insects. The nutritious cedar (Korean pine) -nuts and the Mongolian oak acornss, rripening just before the period of winter food shortages sets in, allow ABBs to store up enough body fat for the hibernation period. In the years of poore naturally growing, fat-providing food in the wild, bears will make trips to cultivated land, where crops are growing. Such years are characterized by increase of bear damage to the forest beeyards and cabins as well.

Mating

The mating season is from the end of May to late July. To this time period relates the phenomenon known as the “bear weddings” - when single females are sometimes accompanied by more than just one male. Beware meet such escorts in our bushes!

Shelter & rearing of young

Similarly to his brown relative (e. g. Ursus arctos), the hero of our review spends winter season in shelter. There is too few food accessible and to high possibility of being snow-tracked by enemies at this period of the annual life cycle. In the den ABB female brings up her youngs.

Potentially, Himalayan bears can sleep, spend winter and even give birth to their cubs anywhere: at the base of a large tree, in niches in cliffs, different hollows in the earth. They even make constructions of twigs and branches like bird nests, but built directly on the ground (photo 3). It is an obvious fact, however, that the better surroundings, in which the animal meets its natural requirements, the grater are it's both comfort and happiness!

Now you can easily understand why does the Himalayan bear prefer make his lair inside of the strong hollow poplar or lime tree or similar. A good lair of this type can be very safe. Such a one should have a decent enough sized cavity, sturdy walls (which cannot be pulled down by tigers or brown bears), as well as an entry opening inaccessible to unwanted guests (photos 4-6, drawing 1). Last is called “CHE-LO” in Russian. An ideal one chelo should be not less than 4 meters off the ground.

Photos 3, 4. The Himalyan bear "nest" and the normal tree den. Both photos by Linda Kerley.

Sometimes the process of transforming a tree into a lair takes more than a century. For a tree has to reach the right height and maturity, as well as to go through the rotting away process of the inside of the trunk.

How the bear chooses one or other type of shelter for winter hibernation depends on a number of factors such as the proximity of places for concern (e.g. human habitats) and the bear’s own characteristics: nutritional state, body size, sex, pregnancy etc. Himalayan bear males care of their future by letting females use the best remaining winter tree-dens.

Photo 5 – The most beautiful tree-lair ever seen by author. The Lazo State Reserve	Photo 6 - The largest tree-lair ever visited by author (was shown to last by Dr. V. S. Khramtsov - the former director of Lazo State Reserve).	Drawing 1.

In January and February females of the Himalayan bear bring up their progeny. Inside of the lairs tiny bear-cubs appear – the size of a month old kitten. As is well known, a cottage built of wood is warmer than one built of stone. The same is for the bear-cubs: a wooden “maternity unit” is much warmer than niches in cliffs and even more so than something in “nest”***.

A bear-cub requires more than a year under the tuition of his mother to learn everything about finding food and avoiding danger etc. This explains why in a lair with the female adult bear, it is not unusual to find not only new-born cubs, but even young bears of over 1 year old. These young bears are also known as “mentors”, as they too participate in the rearing of their younger brothers and sisters.

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*** Such ground “nests” indicate that the local bear population is in trouble. Himalayan bears, hibernating in such nests, are frequently killed by tigers and brown bears. But even if not: just imagine yourself in winter sleeping out in a sleepingbag under an open sky! By the way, winter rains are not unusual in Primorye's southern districts. Even pregnant female bears are sometimes found hibernating on the ground now.

Best Himalayan bear habitat in Russia

Today’s best Himalayan bear habitat in Russia is the mixed pine/broad-leafed forest untouched by felling and fires (photo 7). Throughout Primorye such forests are being now replaced by the extended oak coppices, wich are more tolerant to forest fires. Oaks, as said, support bears (and many other animals) with acorns, which are especially important in years of low cedar nuts crops. Therefore, even this relatively recently established habitat should be considered critical for the survival of ABBs. But, unfortunatelly, large hollow “forest giants” for the lairs are extremely rare in such coppices. There are neither cedar nuts (which are normally abundant once per at least 4 years in the original forest of the region), nor many other seeds, roots and fruits, which grow only in the diverse and beautiful pine-broad-leafed taiga. Still, last can be seen in few state reserves of Primorye, but forests outside these guarded areas are in need for a very urgent protection!

Photo 7 - Pine/broad-leafed forest – the ideal habitat for the Himalayan bear. By Alexei Bezrookov ([email protected])

PART 2.

The use and protection of the Himalayan bears in Russia today

Use of bear habitat by people

On one hand, there is a growing demand for both the Primorye's timber and pine nuts, and, on the other one - people utilize these resources by very rough methods.The result is increasing suffering of not only bears, but of almost all other taiga's animals. A non-sustained logging causes the greatest damage. In addition to cutting off the largest trees, felling companies make hundreds new roads through taiga every year. Most people, who come in by these roads, are looking for remaining trees, for animals, or for other forest resources (such as pine nuts etc.). As if there was such a rule, while taking things from Mother Nature, they give back nothing. They neither plant trees, nor feed or cure any animals. All they leave after their visits are stumps, garbage, and the animal's blood. The one of the most magnicificant landscapes on the Earth – unique Primorye's taiga - is being destroyed by those whom she feeds. The Mother Nature is in fact nothing other than manifestation of God – the One, Who supports every single breath of us.

Local bear hunting

Hunting brown bears can sometimes be very dangerous, but this is rarely true for the Himalayan ones. One needs neither much bravery nor masterity to kill a frightened bear hiding up in a tree (photo 1). Same with bears that hide themselves in a hollow trees in winter times. While out hunting, hunters cause additional harm to the ABB population by damaging the rarely available wooden “maternity units” (photos 8, 9). Unfortunately, the violence is still practiced in the contemporary world.

Photo 8. This Himalayan bear den was damaged about 10 years back – by an axe. Without restoration it wouldn't serve any bear anymore. The photo was taken in Lazo district of Primorye – the area, rented by the state game agency “Lazovskoye”, fall 2001.

Photo 9. This potential den was destroyed just recently – by the motorsaw. The same area.

Many Himalayan bears are being shot at the forest beeyards, where they come in search for food – the bee-pups and the honey (see paseka_engl.html). This way died most of the annually killed moonbears of Primorye just about 1-2 decades ago. Even today, this type of hunting seriously influences species population in Russia.

Cubs and adult bear parts illegal trade

Since early 1990-s, trade with bear paws and gallbludders, sometimes together with sale of live cubs, formed a new “department” of the Russian-Chinese black market. This has happened due to both the people’s ignorance (superstitious beliefs and the like) and egoism. For example, in accordance with a popular tail, a bear paw soup helps in one’s business. Such rediculous beliefs along with Man's craving for more and more resulted in recent disappearance of wild bears from majority of the Сhinese forests. (To China's prestige, its government is now starting to pay attention to country's serious wildlife problems). So now chinese illegal dealers are interested in importing bears from other countries, including Russia. These criminals are the main nature enemies of the ABB today.

The bear bile is indeed helpful against some diseases. But most of the ills and weaks we obtain through our own wrong conducts, such as harmful habits etc., don't we? Why should animals pay with their lifes and happiness for our own mistakes? Anyway - to cure the disease one must cure the ccausse, not the affect, as it commonly done! Simple preventive measures, like eating healthy food at proper times and in amount which is just enough, avoiding unnessesary waste of both physical and menthal energies, avoiding intoxicants etc. would protect us from many of deseases, including those, which are cured by bear bile. The benefit from the right livelihood is a long-term – e. g. a stable one health. Only the short-term “health” can be obtained by applying bear bile to the affect of disease instead of to its cause! After one cuts down (or stops) smoking, eating spicy food etc., his ulcer (or whatever) starts disappearing automatically! But one, who is too weak to try, prefer to support animal's killing.

The cubs are smuggled from Russia to Chinese bear jales (officially called bear farms), where they're milked for bile through their lifespans. Have the poachers known in what drastic conditions kept the bears in such places, some would perhaps think of making money in less shameful ways.

Photo 10 – The Himalayan bear den (in dry cedar) which was repaired by author in the Lazo district of Primorye. In 2001 the World Society for Protection of Animals provided funds for restoration of this and 5 other winter tree dens in this area.

Discussion and conclusion

The XXI-st century, in which we live, is the Age of information. Humanity has accumulated enough information on how to survive (and even prosper!) without hurting and killing our “smaller” brothers – animals. Killing or force to suffer other beings for any purpose shell not be regarded as a necessity in contemporary world.

Obviously, the common goal of all is happiness. But long-term happiness is impossible without taking care of others. By taking limited care of only ourselves and our families, or just our species (e.g. - Homo sapience), all what is possible is a short-term happiness. Why? Because our world is a single body. Planet Earth is like a Man, who's all limbs and organs are interconnected. For example, people and animals breath in that what plants breath out. We need plants, but plants need animals that disperse their seeds... Animals, besides fruits, need spacious enough lands and tall enough trees for making safe shelters, and so on. In fact, there is such strong inter-connectedness in Nature, that there is virtually nothing that we - people - don't need.

Now back to happiness. The secret of long-term happiness is controlling desires. I'll explain this also... The most popular way of achieving happiness today is working and fighting hard for fulfilling one's many desires. But only a few clever-minded people realize that there is no end for desires, and also that last come from unstable mind, and - as a matter of fact - bring us more worry than happiness. In reality, desires are like an itchy mosquito bite: the more you scratch the itchy place on your skin, the more it disturbs! Only very few skillful ones are able to reach the point when they've fulfilled all their desires (such people continue live and act in this world for the sake of others, or rather - for all). Controlling desire is in fact the only way to attain peace and prosperity. Not only it is the secret of joy for a single individual, like you or me. It is a secret of world's joy! Because once we're happy, all around us also become happier. Let's sum up all what was said in concluding part of this paper by citing a formula of happiness below. An individual feels happy when:

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF his/her DESIRES is less than THE NUMBER OF his/her ABILITIES.

The conclusion from this formula is that - if we serious about feeling always happy, then - INSTEAD OF daydreaming, FIGHTING, COMPETING AND CONSUMING (e.g. - taking from Nature) ever MORE AND MORE (thus making our world every day uglier and uglier), WE MUST start CONTROLLING OUR OWN MINDS!