Himalayan Brown Bear
Encyclopedia
The Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus), also known as the Himalayan Red Bear, Isabelline Bear or Dzu-Teh, is a subspecies
of the Brown Bear
. The bear (as the Dzu-Teh) is thought to be the source of the legend of the Yeti
.
. Males range from 1.5m up to 2.2m (4 ft 11in - 7 ft 3in) long, while females are 1.37m to 1.83m (4 ft 6 in - 6 ft) long. They are the largest animals in the Deosai National Park
, Pakistan
, and are usually sandy or reddish-brown in colour.
, Pakistan
, Nepal
and Tibet
. They are already speculated to have become extinct in Bhutan.
around October and emerge during April and May. Hibernation usually occurs in a den or cave made by the bear.
s and will eat grasses, roots and other plants as well as insects and small mammals they also like fruits and berries. They will also prey on large mammals, including sheep and goats. Adults will eat before sunrise and later during the afternoon.
.
, or 'Abominable Snowman', with which it has been sometimes confused or mistaken. During the Daily Mail
Abominable Snowman Expedition of 1954, Tom Stobbart encountered a "Dzu-Teh". This is recounted by Ralf Izzard, the Daily Mail correspondent on the expedition, in his book The Abominable Snowman Adventure. The report was also printed in the Daily Mail
expedition dispatches on May 7, 1954 http://www.cabernet.demon.co.uk/JAJ/images/DT-RB.jpg.
There is no real reason to associate Stobbart's information with the term "Dzu-Teh", however, and the use of the term by him, a non-native, can only have been presumptive.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Brown Bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
. The bear (as the Dzu-Teh) is thought to be the source of the legend of the Yeti
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
.
Description
Himalayan Brown Bears exhibit sexual dimorphismSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
. Males range from 1.5m up to 2.2m (4 ft 11in - 7 ft 3in) long, while females are 1.37m to 1.83m (4 ft 6 in - 6 ft) long. They are the largest animals in the Deosai National Park
Deosai National Park
The Deosai National Park is located in the Skardu, Astore Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan province, in northernmost Pakistan. The park is located on the Deosai Plains of the Greater Kashmir geographic region...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and are usually sandy or reddish-brown in colour.
Distribution
The bears are found in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. They are already speculated to have become extinct in Bhutan.
Behaviour and ecology
The bears go into hibernationHibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
around October and emerge during April and May. Hibernation usually occurs in a den or cave made by the bear.
Feeding
Himalayan Brown Bears are omnivoreOmnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
s and will eat grasses, roots and other plants as well as insects and small mammals they also like fruits and berries. They will also prey on large mammals, including sheep and goats. Adults will eat before sunrise and later during the afternoon.
Status and conservation
International trade is prohibited by the Wildlife Protection Act in PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Association with the Yeti
"Dzu-Teh", a Nepalese term, has also been associated with the myth of the YetiYeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
, or 'Abominable Snowman', with which it has been sometimes confused or mistaken. During the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
Abominable Snowman Expedition of 1954, Tom Stobbart encountered a "Dzu-Teh". This is recounted by Ralf Izzard, the Daily Mail correspondent on the expedition, in his book The Abominable Snowman Adventure. The report was also printed in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
expedition dispatches on May 7, 1954 http://www.cabernet.demon.co.uk/JAJ/images/DT-RB.jpg.
There is no real reason to associate Stobbart's information with the term "Dzu-Teh", however, and the use of the term by him, a non-native, can only have been presumptive.