Ursus Thibetanus is considered endangered. It is losing its habitat to deforestation and being hunted for its gall bladder used in traditional medicine and the bear meat is a delicacy in some areas. It can be found in Japan, Russia and South and Central Asia. The population is estimated to be at 50,000 animals. These bears are nocturnal and known as the “Moon Bear” because of the white mark on their chest and their sleeping habits.
The Asiatic Black Bear is omnivorous and will eat fruits, nuts, insects and fish. Wolves, tigers and man are their main predators. They will live between 15 and 25 years in the wild, reach sexual maturity in 4 or 5 years and generally have 2 cubs after a gestation period of 6 to 8 months. The cubs are weaned after 6 months but may stay with their mother for up to 3 years.
It is believed that the legends of the Yeti are in part inspired by this bear. The book “Golden Rigma” contains stories of Soviet hunters and how they caught and killed bears, as well as a story of one bear’s survival. When winter comes on, the bears will seek a hollow tree, climb to the top and descend down into the trunk. They will cut away the inside of the trunk to provide a nest and hibernate there when the time comes. Hikers may pass within feet of a tree and never know there is a bear sleeping in it.
Of course, these bears, except for size, are nothing like the one I met on the search for The Treasure of Nikolai Nikolaevich: Adventures on the Amur #1.
Sources: https://a-z-animals.com/animals/asian-black-bear/
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1868/20171804