URSIDAE - the Bear Family

This family which is made up of seven species (Grizzly, Polar bear, American black bear, Asian black bear, Sun bear, Sloth bear, Spectacled bear), includes the world's largest terrestrial carnivores - Polar bears. All bears except the polar bear are considered omnivores, and the Polar bear is the only bear classified as a carnivore, feeding mainly on fish and seals.

The Polar bears are the largest and can weigh over 1700 pounds, and the smallest is the Sun bear weighing in at 60-125 pounds. In species such as the Sun and Sloth bears who have only one mate, the males are only 10-20% larger than the females, but in species where males compete for females, they can be as much as 100% larger than the females.

Bears have large heads; a large, heavily built body; short, powerful limbs, short tails; small eyes; and small erect rounded ears. There most developed sense is their acute sense of smell. Bears walk on their feet (plantigrade) which are broad, flat, and have a characteristic shuffling gate. They have five digits on all limbs. They are capable of walking on their hind legs for short distances. In all bears except the Sun bear, the soles of their feet are well furred. The Sun bear has naked soles which aids it in being the best tree climber in this genera. With the exception of Grizzlies and Polar bears, most of the bear species climb well. The claws are strong and curved and used for tearing and digging. Their lips are free from the gums. All species have 42 teeth except the Sloth bear which has 40.

During Autumn, most bears become quite fat, in preparation for the upcoming cold weather and period of hibernation, when they will cease eating altogether. As the cold weather approaches, they go into a den which they have already prepared in a protected location. It is in this den that they will sleep out the winter and live off their fat reserves. With few exceptions (pregnant females) Polar Bears do not hibernate. Most of the omnivores hibernate during the times when food is scarce and would otherwise not sustain them, however, the carnivorous Polar bear does not have that problem and can continue to hunt all year 'round. Some experts do not call this process true hibernation because body temperature is not substantially reduced, body functions continue, and bears can be easily aroused. Sometimes, during periods of warmer weather, they will awaken on their own. There are some experts who have determined that the heart rate if a hibernating bear drops to less than half of normal, and that there are in fact other physiological changes occurring. Therefore, these scientists do feel that bears are in fact in a true state of mammalian hibernation.

As a rule, bears are peaceful animals and try to avoid conflict. They can be formidable adversaries when they feel that they, their offspring or their food supply are threatened. The majority of bear attack stories are untrue, and those that are are usually found to be related to provocation.

Bear's gall bladders and bile are regarded as an essential part of traditional Chinese medicinal cures. And bear paws are served as luxury dishes in the smart restaurants of Taiwan for the practice of "junbu". This supposedly passes on to the customer the qualities of the animal eaten - in this case, great strength.

Not only that, but live animals - more often than not cubs - are captured to be sold as dancing bears, principally in India and Pakistan.

Often in Asia and China, the animals are not killed but captured and caged, seriously depleting wild pupulations. They are then kept in appalling conditions and are systematically "milked" of their bile for Oriental medicinal markets. People in many parts of South-east Asia believe that the bear bile and gall bladder help cure ailments ranging from fevers to heart disease. The giant panda is the only bear not valued in Chinese medicine.