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somewhat different prey species, but still with substantial dietary overlap. It is listed
as Endangered by the IUCN, as populations are decreasing and estimated at less than 2,500
adults. Factors contributing to this decline include habitat loss, loss of prey, competition with
other species, persecution, and disease transfer from domestic dogs.
6. Asian black bear
The Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus, previously known as Selenarctos thibetanus) is also
known as moon bear andwhite-chested bear. It is a medium-sized bear species and largely
adapted to arboreal life. It lives in the Himalayas, in the northern parts of the Indian
subcontinent, Korea,northeastern China,the Russian,FarEast,the Honshū and Shikoku
islands of Japan, and Taiwan. It is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, mostly because
of deforestation and hunting for its body parts. The species is morphologically very similar to
some prehistoric bears, and is thought by some scientists to be the ancestor of other extant
bear species (aside from pandas and spectacled bears). Though largely herbivorous, Asian
black bears can be very aggressive toward humans, who frequently trap or kill them
for traditional medicine.
Dhole
Asian Black Bear
Bengal Tiger
7. Bengal tiger
The Bengal tiger, also called the royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), is the most
numerous tiger subspecies. It is thenational animal of both India and Bangladesh. By 2011,
the total population was estimated at fewer than 2,500 individuals with a decreasing trend.
None of the Tiger Conservation Landscapes within the Bengal tiger's range is considered large
enough to support an effective population size of 250 adult individuals. Since 2010, it has
been classified as endangered by the IUCN. As of 2010, Bengal tiger populations in India have
been estimated at 1,706–1,909. As of 2014, they had reputedly increased to an estimated
2,226 individuals, [4] but the method used in the census may not be accurate. Bengal tigers
number around 440 in Bangladesh and 163–253 in Nepal. There were previously 67–81
individuals in Bhutan. However, the latest census estimated that 103 wild Bengal tigers are
living in the country. Bengal is traditionally fixed as the typical locality for
the binomen Panthera
tigris,
to
which
the
British
taxonomist Reginald
Innes
Pocock subordinated the Bengal tiger in 1929 under the trinomen Panthera tigris tigris.
April, 2016