B as in BEAR (A-Z Challenge)

Subtitle: Much of what you would like to know about Bears, when you didn't know who to ask.

There are eight known species of Bears on our planet, in various colours, sizes, and locations. And they are all cute and cuddly (when they're small, at least but I think when they're big, too!).

Bears are commonly found in the Americas and Eurasia. The one Bear type found in Africa is believed to be extinct, the last one seen about 150 years ago.

The largest of the species is the white Polar Bear, with adult males weighing as much as 700 kg. (or 1,500 lbs.). They live around the Arctic Ocean (Canada, Alaska, Russia, Greenland). The feed largely on seals. As the temperatures in the arctic increase, there are fewer ice pans for the seals, and the Bears have to swim father to feed, and increasingly are drowning.

The Brown Bear — Eurasian, Far-eastern, Grizzly, Kodiak, and the Tibetan Blue — are not as large as the Polar Bears, and probably the widest-spread Bears (there are even some in Syria, who I hope will survive the civil war). The Grizzly, which used to be spread across the Canadian prairies, has disappeared from there, and is found now only in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia (sometimes called British California). Like other Bears, they hibernate in the winter, but may come out on a nice day.

The North American Black Bear is found throughout Canada, and parts of the United States. It is the most common of the Bear species. While it is called Black, it can range from black, to brown, to cinnamon, to white. The white ones are the Kermode or Spirit Bears of Canada's west Coast. Scientists believe about 500 of them live in various places.

The Asian Black Bear is very similar to the North American Black, except for the large white "V" on the chest. These can be found from southern Iraq, through northern Pakistan, China, Russia, and Japan. They are a bit smaller than their North American counterparts.

The Sun Bear (or Honey Bear) lives the the rain forests of South-east Asia. Their Jet Black coats have a chest marking like the Asian Blacks, but the Honey Bear's marking are in the yellow-orange colour range. And yes, they like honey. 

The Sloth Bear is found in India and Sri Lanka. They are black, but their fur is a lot shaggier than most other Bears. They even appear to have a mane around their heads like male Lions. Unlike other Bears, these are normally active at night, and feed on insects.

The black and white Panda Bear, an international symbol of China, is found in a few locations in the western part of that country. They live on bamboo, but can also eat meat, fish, and eggs, when those are available. Panda population is estimated at between 1,600 and 2,000.

The only South American Bear is the Spectacled Bear. It lives in the Andes Mountains in the northern part of that continent. Its name comes from the whitish rings around the eyes of their otherwise black coats. 

All the Bears species, except the Browns and American Blacks, are classed as "threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their primary problem is human-caused habitat destruction. 

Aside from the fact that I'm partial to Bears, I think all this information Bears noting.

Have you ever encountered a Bear, in captivity or in the wild? What happened when you did?

B is also for bat, brick, brickbat, blatant, and Bristol (England).

Blessings and Bear hugs!

(Research notes from Wikipedia)