Bears Get Around

Bears can be found in many places around the world. 

Brown bears have spread out the most. They’re known by a whole bunch of different names, depending on where they live: humans know them as grizzly bears, Kodiak bears, Himalayan snow bears, Syrian bears, and European or Asiatic brown bears. Wow, these guys really do travel!

Black bears live all over North America, and also go by lots of different names: cinnamon bears, glacier bears, Kermode bears (that’s me!) … in fact, there are 18 sub-species of black bear scattered around the U.S. and Canada.

 There’s an Asiatic black bear, too. These cousins of ours have a crescent-shaped patch of white fur on their chests. They live in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and northern India, China, Russia, and Japan.

Polar bears (like my buddy Maurice, le Rocket) come from countries that border the Arctic Circle.

Sloth bears are found in India, Nepal, and neighbouring nations. Sloth bears have shaggy coats and floppy ears, and they like to eat termites (hmm … remind me not to accept any dinner invitations from this branch of the family).

Sun bears live in Southeast Asia. These are little guys compared to most other bears, with sleek black fur, and white patches shaped like a half-moon on their chests. Like we Kermode bears, they live in rainforests, although the steamy, tropical kind.

In South America, you’ll find Spectacled bears.   

Hee hee, not like that! Spectacled bears get their name from bands of white fur around their eyes. Like brown bears, spectacled bears will eat just about anything, and can handle just about any kind of habitat, though they like forested mountains the best.

Panda bears live in southwestern China. Until recently, humans thought that the pandas’ nearest relatives were actually raccoons, but scientists have now proven that pandas really are related to the rest of us bears. Pandas are mostly vegetarian: as much as 99% of their diet is bamboo.

Pandas are also extraordinarily well-dressed.

You know, it can be tough being a bear in the wild. In many places, bears are losing the natural habitat they need to find food and live healthy lives. Part of the real work of teddy bears is to remind everyone that bears are amazing animals, and that everybody needs to help preserve wildlife habitat.

I’ve had the good luck to meet teddy bears from all kinds of different places. In my next few posts, I’ll introduce you to some of them, and together we’ll learn a bit more about the world. You might get out a map of the Earth, or an atlas, to see where each of these bears comes from.

Til then, best regards your B.C. correspondent, Bella Bella!

Carved bear photo courtesy L. Christie

Story and other photos by S. Clouthier