The status of bears in China: country report
China is one of only two countries with four species of bears (although the status of giant pandas [Ailuropoda melanoleuca] is not treated in this report). In terms of diversity and scope of habitats, China is one of the world’s most important countries for bear conservation. Figures purporting to p...
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| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.597.4477 http://people.montana.com/~rharris/China final.pdf |
| Summary: | China is one of only two countries with four species of bears (although the status of giant pandas [Ailuropoda melanoleuca] is not treated in this report). In terms of diversity and scope of habitats, China is one of the world’s most important countries for bear conservation. Figures purporting to provide abundance and density of bears abound, but none are documented sufficiently to merit recognition as scientific estimates; all estimates of bear density and abundance are better viewed as guesses. The geographic distribution of brown (Ursus arctos) and Asiatic black bears (U. thibetanus) is fairly well documented (uncertainty remains regarding sun bears, U. malayanus). Sun bears in China are rare and have received very little study. An oft-repeated guess is that about 150 remain, although the recent national survey on terrestrial wildlife species estimated a total of about 700 (State Forestry Administration 2003), restricted to specific areas of southeastern, southern and western Yunnan and southeastern Tibet. We restrict this report to brown and Asiatic black bears. Biology A. Asiatic black bear |
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