Moon Bear

Moon bear outside at Wingham Wildlife Park

Moon Bears Natural History

Size

The Moon Bear is a medium sized bear at 1.9 meters (6 ft) long and 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall, weighing 125 kg (275 lbs)

Habitat and Distribution

This bear has varied habitats in the wild including forests to deserts in the foothills of the Himalayas ranging from Afghanistan to Japan.

Age

The lifespan of a Moon Bear is 20-25 years but they can live up to 30 years in captivity.

Diet

Moon Bears are typically herbivores, feeding on fruits, fungi, grasses, honey, seeds and leaves. They will also eat insects, eggs and human rubbish in urban areas.

Groups and Breeding

Two cubs are usually born after a gestation period of 7- 8 months. The newborn cubs will weigh 225-300 grams. Females typically give in the hollow of a tree or in a cave. They will typically have one litter at a time and wean at about 3.5 months. The young will stay with their mother for 2-3 years but they won’t reach maturity themselves until they’re 3-4 years old.

Threats

The Moon Bear is classed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUNC Red List. This is due to the destruction of their natural habitat. They also continue to be hunted and exploited for the bear bile trade throughout Asia.

Interesting Facts

The Moon Bear gets its name from the gold crescent moon shape on its chest, but it has an alternative name, the Asiatic Black Bear.

The Moon Bears During Your Day Out in Kent

At Wingham Wildlife Park the two Moon Bears can be found in little Himalaya behind the Dinosaur Zoo. Aroon (male) and Mika (female) moved to Wingham Wildlife Park in 2017 and are fed a wide variety of foods here at the park such as a mixture of fruit and vegetables, eggs, dog biscuits, seeds, insects and occasionally have honey and peanut butter as a treat.

In early 2020 this couple excitingly had their first cub and through a Facebook competition he was given the name Baloo. Baloo can currently been seen with Mum, Mika.