Moon bears can grow 4-6 feet in length and weigh 100-440 pounds depending on their gender and subspecies. Compare this to the American black bear which can reach a weight of up to 660 pounds!

They are predominantly black all over besides their brown muzzle and the white patch on their chest. This patch roughly has a V or crescent shape possibly to identify each other.

They propel themselves with their long, hooked claws and upper bodies so much so that they could easily climb with broken hind limbs. Their hind legs are short and weak even though the moon bear has been seen walking on two legs for over a quarter mile!

The moon bear, commonly called the Asian black bear, is a medium-sized bear native to Asia. There are 7 subspecies found in locations such as the Himalayas, China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and more. The moon bear lives in mixed, thornbrush, or deciduous forests with high altitudes in the summer, and lower altitudes in the winter.

Moon bears are omnivorous. Their carnivorous diet involves animals such as livestock, boar, buffalo, etc., while the rest of their diet includes things like fruits, beetles, acorns, and more. Moon bears are opportunistic eaters and will continuously eat seasonally high calorie foods or search riverbanks and rotting logs for larvae when food is scarce. After building up as much bulk as they can, they will hibernate between November and March.

The moon bears’ mating season changes with each subspecies but is usually in late summer. Little is known about their breeding rituals in the wild, but the social hierarchy dictates larger males have a better chance at mating. After delayed implantation, female moon bears will remain pregnant for 200-240 days before giving birth to 1-4 cubs in a cave or hollow tree. The cubs are weaned after 4 months and independent between 24-36 months.

Moon bears are one of the most arboreal species of bears spending about half their life in the trees.

Moon bears are also known as asiatic black bears.