Bears belong to the bear family. ursids, a group of omnivorous mammals, but the truth is that their diet differs according to the species: while the polar bear’s diet is almost exclusively carnivorous, the panda bear has a mostly herbivorous diet. Others have a more varied diet, based on roots, fruits, insects and also meat.
The ursid family is made up of 8 species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, almost all of these species are listed as vulnerable or endangered. If you are interested in knowing the species of endangered bearscontinue reading this EcologíaVerde article in which we will tell you everything.
Polar Bear
Let’s start with the familiar polar bear (Ursus maritime) which, as its name indicates, lives at the North Pole. We often hear why the polar bear is endangered. In reality, the polar bear is not in danger of extinction but is classified, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, as vulnerable to extinction. This means that although it is not going to become extinct in the short term, conservation efforts are required to prevent the species from becoming extinct in the future. Some of the factors that contribute to their vulnerability are: climate change, pollution, poaching and disturbances in their habitat.
Learn more about this topic in this EcologíaVerde article: Is the polar bear in danger of extinction?
tibetan bear
The tibetan bear (Ursus thibetanus)also called Asiatic black bear or Himalayan bear, inhabits the high-altitude forests of Asia, from Iran to China. This species, in particular, is one of the bear species that is vulnerable to extinction. The causes that put it in danger are: changes in its habitat, run over on routes and roads, agriculture and aquaculture and poaching.
Although globally not in danger of extinction, it is estimated that in certain places it is extinct because certain ancient Chinese medicinal practices demand parts of your body.
Iberian brown bear
There are more than 20 subspecies of brown bear, which are not in danger of extinction. However, the subspecies called Iberian or Cantabrian brown bear (Ursus arctos pyrenaicus)which inhabits the Cantabrian mountain range in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, is classified as endangered. The main threats to which the Iberian brown bear is exposed are: deforestation, changes in land use, diseases transmitted by livestock and climate change.
Here we tell you more about why the brown bear is in danger of extinction.
Panda bear
In China is the charismatic Panda bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) which, contrary to what is believed, is not in danger of extinction. However, it is classified as vulnerable to extinction, which implies the need to carry out conservation efforts in order to prevent the situation of the species from worsening. As for the factors that significantly increase their vulnerability, they are related to the loss and fragmentation of their habitat.
Learn more about the subject in these other articles on The habitat of the panda bear and Is the panda extinct?
lipped bear
The lipped bear or sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), is a bear native to India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, although in the latter it is extinct. Currently, globally, there is vulnerable to extinction mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by urbanization development and land use change. It is also exploited for its utility in human and veterinary medicine.
sun bear
The sun bearwhose scientific name is Helarctos malayanus, is another species of bear found vulnerable to extinction. In addition, their populations are decreasing in relation to the number of individuals. The vulnerability of the species to extinction is caused by agriculture and aquaculture, poaching and being run over on highways and roads. Regarding its distribution, it inhabits the tropical forests of South-East Asia.
spectacled bear
Did you know that the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only species of bear in South America? Now you know! Precisely its distribution covers Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela and it is characterized by inhabiting the humid forests on the slopes of the mountains of the Andes mountain range, for that reason it is also called Andean bear.
Today, the spectacled bear is vulnerable to extinction and the number of specimens in the wild is declining. The factors that threaten their existence are deforestation and changes in land use, hunting of their specimens, road accidents and climate change.
Learn more about this species with this other post about why the spectacled bear is in danger of extinction.
How to help endangered bears
As you may have noticed, the different species of bears need us to act now to prevent them from becoming extinct in the future. Fortunately, there are small habits in our daily lives that we can incorporate to help the different types of bears in danger of extinctionsome of them are:
- Use less single-use plastics and incorporate reusable and recyclable products; reduces the consumption of chemical products and incorporates biodegradable products. These new habits will reduce the pollution that ends up in rivers and oceans and alters the bears’ habitat.
- Reduce your carbon footprint. Reducing your personal carbon footprint will help decrease the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change. To achieve this you can consume more plant foods than animal products, use bicycles and public transport instead of cars, not turn on lights when not necessary and more.
- Avoid the black market. Tourist places often offer souvenirs, often made from parts of wild animals. If you enjoy buying these types of souvenirs, don’t hesitate to ask what these types of products are made of.
Now that we have shown you which species of bears are in danger of extinction and some tips to help improve their situation, we encourage you to read this other article about Why it is important to protect animals in danger of extinction.
If you want to read more articles similar to endangered bearswe recommend that you enter our category of Animals in danger of extinction.
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