Bear

A bear is a large mammal belonging to the family Ursidae. Bears have a shaggy coat, a large head, a short tail, and a plantigrade gait. They are versatile omnivores with strong forelimbs and long claws, adapted for digging, climbing, and catching prey. Depending on species, they inhabit forests, mountains, tundra, deserts, and coastal regions across the northern hemisphere.

Living bears comprise eight species in several genera: Ursus (brown bear, American black bear, Asian black bear, polar bear), Melursus (sloth bear), Helarctos (sun bear), Tremarctos (spectacled bear), and Ailuropoda (giant panda). The giant panda is a bear but has a diet that is mostly bamboo.

Most bears are solitary, with the exception of mothers with cubs and seasonal aggregations at feeding sites. They have a varied diet; polar bears rely largely on seals, while some brown and black bears eat berries, roots, insects, and small mammals. Bears in colder climates commonly enter a period of torpor or true hibernation, reducing metabolic activity to survive food-scarce winters. Cubs are typically born in winter or early spring and remain with the mother for one to three years.

Conservation status varies among species, with some populations declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and hunting, while others are of least concern. Protected areas and international treaties regulate hunting and trade. Bears are important omnivores that influence ecosystem dynamics through scavenging, seed dispersal, and prey interactions.