Bears

There are all kinds of bears. Small and big, very dangerous and less so. Most of the bears live in the forest, except for the Polar bear. He doesn't need the forest because he eats what the North Pole provides him. Since scientists finally decided that the Giant Panda belongs to the family of bears too, there are eight different bear species.  

The bigger bears are mostly predators, just like tigers. For example, the Polar Bear and the Brown Bear. The Giant Panda is a herbivore. The rest of them are omnivores and eat plants, insects and small animals.  

Hibernation 

Bears that live in seasonal countries conceive their youngsters during the winter, when they are in their den. The babies are born bald, but they are not cold, because they get their heat from Mom's warm body. By spring time, they have grown their fur.  

Threats  

Besides loss of habitat (due to logging, developments and forest clearing for agriculture) another threat to the bears is hunting. Bears can be very aggressive, especially when you meet a female bear with her babies. They are often seen as pests. They are hunted for their fur, teeth and meat. They are also hunted to be kept in captivity, because people user bear bile to produce medicine.  

Once common, performing bears are a rare sight today in most countries. Fortunately for the animals, as the act is actually torturing to the bears. They start to dance because the floors are heated up until it is too uncomfortable for them to stand still, and music is played. Eventually, every time the bears hear music, it lifts its feet, remembering the pain.  

The Sun Bear is the only bear found in Malaysia. It is the smallest of the bears and is sometimes kept as a pet... even though it is a CITES ( International treaty that controls trade of endangered species) listed species.