6 bear species face threat of extinction

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Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071113/asp/frontpage/story_8542096.asp

 

6 bear species face threat of extinction

 

*Oslo, Nov. 12* (Reuters): Six of the world's eight bear species are under

threat of extinction after the addition today of the sun bear, the world's

smallest type of bear, to a " Red List " which says China's panda is most at

risk.

 

The sun bear is threatened partly by poachers who sell its gall bladder bile

in China as a traditional medicine, said the World Conservation Union which

runs the list of threatened wildlife. " Things are getting worse for all the

bear species except the American black bear which is unquestionably

increasing, " said Simon Stuart, senior species adviser for the Union.

 

The addition of the sun bear to the authoritative Red List after a major

review means the American black bear and the brown bear, found from Europe

to Alaska, are the only two of eight species still considered robust.

 

The sun bear, found in Asia from Bangladesh to Borneo and weighing up to

about 70 kg, was rated " vulnerable " by experts at the Union, which comprises

more than 80 governments, conservation groups and scientists.

 

The sun bear, named after a yellow crescent on its chest, had not previously

been listed because of a lack of data. The Union said there were several

thousand sun bears in the wild.

 

" We estimate that sun bears have declined by at least 30 per cent over the

past 30 years ... and continue to decline at this rate, " said Ron Steinmetz,

head of the Swiss-based Union's sun bear expert team.

 

Scientists did not change the level of threat to any other bear species.

Deforestation, loss of habitat to roads and cities and poaching are among

risks.

 

The Asiatic black bear, the sloth bear and the Andean bear were all

reaffirmed as vulnerable after the reassessment of land-living bears. The

polar is separately rated as vulnerable.

 

Pandas were reaffirmed as endangered, one step closer to extinction than

vulnerable, despite China's protection efforts for the bamboo-eaters. There

are an estimated 1,000-2,000 in the wild, fewer than any other bear species.

 

" Even though some people have claimed that panda populations are on the

rise, we still consider them endangered because too much uncertainty exists

to justify changing their status to vulnerable, " David Garshelis, co-chair

of the Union's bear specialist group, said.

 

 

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