World Lion Day
Animal Awareness Days
Join us for World Lion Day on August 10th, find out our top lion facts and how the big cat at the top of the animal kingdom needs our help.
World Bear Day
Animal Awareness Days
World Bear Day is observed around the globe on March 23rd and celebrates all bears, regardless of species.
Read on to learn more about these much-loved mammals, their threats, and what you can do to help.
World Bear Day celebrates all eight species of bear:
- The North American black bear
- The Asiatic black bear
- The Brown bear/grizzly bear
- The giant panda
- The polar bear
- The Andean bear/spectacled bear
- The sloth bear
- The sun bear
Six of these species are threatened or vulnerable by the IUCN (Red List of Endangered Species).
5 facts about bears
- Bears live a solitary lifestyle, apart from mothers and cubs.
- Bears have an omnivore diet of fish, nectar and insects.
- Adult grizzly bears can run up to an incredible 35-40mph - the same pace as a greyhound.
- Bears are often seen as ecosystem engineers as they enrich soil, balance the ecosystem and disperse seeds.
- The illegal wildlife trade and loss of their natural habitats is the most significant threat to bears in modern times.
How bears have been and are being cruelly exploited:
- Bear Bile
Living bears in Asia are farmed for the bile in their gallbladders. The bile is sold for traditional medicine. These bears are often in cages no bigger than phone booths for their entire lives; they often moan and rock due to extreme anxiety. All methods of extracting bile from live bears cause severe distress and pain.
- Bear Dancing
Captive bears, often stolen from the wild as cubs, are forced to 'dance' for tourists on the streets as a form of begging. They are trained through extremely cruel techniques.
- Bear Baiting
Bear baiting is an illegal and inhumane bloodsport where bears, unable to defend themselves, battle against trained dogs for entertainment. These bears suffer unimaginable injuries and rarely live beyond eight years old.
Join our fight against the exploitation and commodification of wild animals. Can you lend your voice?
Bear FAQs
Are bears wild animals?
Bears are wild animals found in the forest and mountainous regions of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Sadly, not every wild bear gets to live freely. Bears remain imprisoned and abused around the world.
Are bears intelligent?
Bears are sentient animals with thoughts, feelings, and individual personalities. They are highly intelligent animals, shown to grieve deeply and show altruistic behaviour in sharing food with unrelated bears during food shortages.
What are the physical characteristics of bears?
Bears commonly have large bodies, large paws, long snouts, small rounded ears, and shaggy hair. They are brown, black and white. They range in size from 4-8ft and 60-1000 pounds.
Related content
World Animal Day
Animal Awareness Days
World Animal Day is October 4th - World Animal Protection has put together a guide on the day's importance to help increase awareness for animal welfare.
World Elephant Day
Animal Awareness Days
World Elephant Day is observed on the 12th of August. Despite their size, popularity and status, elephants desperately need protection. Find out more.
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