World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India) recently documented the first-ever evidence of a rare Tibetan Brown Bear that was spotted in the northeastern region in North Sikkim.
About Tibetan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos pruinosus):
- It is also known as the Tibetan blue bear, a rare subspecies of brown bear that lives in the eastern Tibetan Plateau.
- It is one of the rarest bear subspecies in the world and only a few confirmed records from Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibetan plateau are reported.
- Appearance: Characteristic yellowish scarf-like collar broadens from the shoulders to the chest.
- Small ears are covered with long fur and its sense of smell is much more acute than its hearing and sight.
- Habitat: It inhabits high-altitude alpine forests, meadows, and steppe above 4000 m.
- Behavior: It is very shy of human contact and therefore very seldom observed.
- In contrast, the Himalayan Black Bear has a distinctive ‘V’ shaped white chest mark, inhabits temperate forests below 4000 m.
- Diet: Marmots and alpine vegetation
- Sightings in India: Over the last many decades, Dokpas- the nomadic herders from the high-altitude areas of Tso Lhamo plateau and Muguthang have mentioned about them.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I. It is also listed in
- CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)- Appendix I
Ref: Source
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