This threatened species, also known as a moon bear, has been making a comeback after decades of bear bile farming.
Officials celebrated on May 12 when their trail cameras at Si Phang Nga National Park — on the southern peninsula of Thailand — captured rare footage of Asiatic bears roaming the land.
Asiatic black bears, also known as “buffalo bears” or “moon bears,” are slightly smaller than American black bears, with a mane-like ruff on both sides of their faces and a light, crescent-shaped patch on their chests.
For years, Animals Asia has been working to end bear bile farming by building bear rehabilitation sanctuaries, running public awareness campaigns, and lobbying to strengthen existing laws banning the sale of bear bile.
“To date, 700 bears have been received into our care,” Animals Asia said in a statement on their website. “In 2023, we opened our second sanctuary in Vietnam. This came after we signed a historic agreement with the Vietnamese government to end bear bile farming for good.”
“This new sanctuary will be home to around 250 bears, the last survivors of the country's bile industry.”
Thanks to widespread conservation efforts like these, Asiatic black bears have been slowly making a comeback in the wild.
Which is why officials at Si Phang Nga National Park cheered at the sight of the Asiatic black bears rummaging for food near their trail camera sites in early May.
In addition to capturing rare footage of two “buffaloes,” the trail cameras also recorded a variety of deer, kestrel falcons, and a pack of wild monkeys in the space of a single month.
Thirapol Chatthai, the head of the Sri Phang Nga National Park, said that the footage was cause for celebration.
