Formosan Black Bear

Ursus thibetanus formosanus

Easy (Promiscuous)

The **Formosan Black Bear** or **Taiwanese Black Bear** (*Ursus thibetanus formosanus*) is a large Asian mammal featured in the Standard Edition of *Planet Zoo*.

## Zoopedia Description

### General

**Population in the Wild:** Unknown

The Formosan black bear (or *Ursus thibetanus formosanus*) is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear that's endemic to Taiwan. They have a stocky build with black fur, rounded ears and a long straight snout; plus their most characteristic and distinct visual feature, which is a V-shaped white patch on their chest. The Formosan black bears are sexually dimorphic; in this case the males are much larger than females. The former weight and measure an average of 135kg and 1.7m, and the latter average 70kg and 1.35m.

The species is endangered and their numbers are in decline - primarily due to the degradation of their habitat that's brought on by commercial logging and the encroachment of human development into their home forests. They are also victims of commercial poaching, which is an effect compounded by the logging because it gives poachers easy access to areas in which the bears live.

Taiwan takes a lot of pride in its ursine population and the nation is working to protect them. Many have been tagged with radio collars in order to track them and get an idea of the threats they are facing. This also assists in determining the population size, locating areas that poacher's traps have been set, and mapping the home ranges of the bears to locate and protect dens of mothers with new cubs. Although the number of Formosan black bears in the wild is not yet known, Taiwanese groups continue to carry out this research and to improve the protective measures in place.

### Social

With the exception of a mother and her cubs, Formosan black bears are solitary and only interact to mate.

### Reproduction

During the mating season, males will track the females who move through their large territory by the scent of their urine. When the two meet, they will have a brief courtship before mating and going their separate ways. The female will be pregnant for 6 to 7 months and will, during the late weeks of her pregnancy, locate a den in a rock crevice or hollow tree. This is where she'll give birth to between 1 and 3 cubs, who will stay with their mother for 2 years. After this point she is likely to mate again, while her initial cubs will leave and attempt to establish their own territories.

## Animal Care

 FEEDING STATIONS
 FOOD ENRICHMENT
Bamboo Feeder · Block of Frozen Fruit · Large Fixed Roller Feeder · Tree Forager · Tree Scatter Feeder · Underwater Fish Feeder
Bobbin · Cardboard Box · Climbing Frame · Firehose Ball · Herb Scent Marker · Prey-Scented Sack · Rubbing Pillar · Wind Chimes · Gift Box · Bobbin Drum · Scots Pine/Tamarind Scratching Tree · Submarine Buoy

## Trivia

### Zoopedia Fun Facts

* Formosan black bears are also known as 'moon bears' due to the crescent-shaped white patch on their chests.
* Unlike most other black bear subspecies, Formosan black bears do not hibernate in the winter.
* The movement of black bears can appear clumsy and slow, but they can run at 25mph when they want to. They are also good swimmers and can catch fish.
* Formosan black bears are good climbers and may spent up to half their time on trees. Pregnant females often make their dens in hollow trees.
* The Formosan black bear appears in Taiwanese folklore. The story goes that the bear and the Formosan leopard (which is now extinct) were once white, and the two animals decided to paint each other's coats. The bear took great care in painting the leopard's spots, but the leopard was lazy and painted the bear all black, except for the moon-shaped white patch on his chest. The bear was angry when he saw what the leopard had done and chased him. The leopard begged the bear to let him live, and that if he did, the leopard would share his kills with the bear. The bear agreed, and to this day native hunters believe that leopards do not eat all the meat from their kills to honour this deal and leave some food behind for the scavenging black bear.

### Other Trivia

* Before the full release, it were more suited to live in the Taiga biome, rather than Tropical.
	+ However this adaptation got changed afterwards with the 1.4.1 and 1.8 Updates, which added Taiga suitability and increased cold tolerance respectively.