The Himalayan Brown Bear

The Himalayan brown bear is also known as “The Himalayan Red Bear”, distribution from northern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, northern India, west China, Nepal, and have become extinct in Bhutan. The male brown bear ranges from 5ft - 7t 3in long while female is little smaller ranges from 4 ft 6 in - 6 ft. Thus, it is largest mammal in Asian region, as these bears are omnivorous and hibernate in a den during winter.  A large brown bear has thick fur which is most often sandy or reddish-brown in colour.  The head is large and the body heavy and the legs stocky. The Himalayan brown bear is found in three major mountain ranges, Hindu Kush, Karakoram and the Western Himalaya, and four inter-mountain highlands. Himalayan brown bears seem to be arguably the least arboreal of all the bear subspecies. The average wild life of brown bear is 20 to 30 years.  

Though current in a number of protected areas, they’re becoming progressively rare because of loss of suitable habitat and hunting by humans, and have become "critically endangered."  Himalayan brown bears exhibit sexual dimorphism and they are the largest animals in the Himalayas and are habitually sandy or reddish-brown in color. The brown bears include habitats of high altitude open valleys and pastures.  During the summer months the bears move up as high as the snow-line at around 5,500 metres and then descend into the valleys in the autumn. The Himalayan brown bear consists of a single clade that is the sister group to all other brown bears and polar bears. Overall, the brown bear is one of the most widespread bear species in the world, and one of the most ancient brown bear lineages. It’s a very large animal, believed by some that the bear’s ability to walk upright probably gave rise to the legend of the Yeti or “Abominable Snowman.” Deosai National Park in Pakistan has the largest population of Himalayan brown bears in the region; it is also one of the few places where their habitat is protected.

Moreover, Himalayan brown bears are omnivores and will eat grasses, roots and other plants as well as insects and small mammals; they also like fruits and berries. They will also prey on large mammals, including sheep and goats. Thus, both genders will eat before sunrise and later during the afternoon. The Himalayan brown bear is a critically endangered species in some of its range with a population of only 150-200 in Pakistan. The populations in Pakistan are slow reproducing, small, and declining because of habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, and bear-baiting. Moreover Himalayan brown bears are diurnal and, except during mating and for mothers with cubs, are solitary.  Mating takes place during May and June with cubs being born in the winter den in December and January.  The bears go into hibernation in a cave or dug-out den around October, emerging in April or May.