The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Greenland, Hungary, India, Iran, Islamic Republic
of Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea,
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic
of Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia,
Montenegro, Myanmar, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation,
Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates,
United States, Uzbekistan, Yemen.
Main Threats
• Habitat loss and fragmentation due to human
settlements and clearing for agriculture and
livestock.
• Poaching for fur.
• Reduction in natural prey base.
• Human-wildlife conflict.
• Canine diseases (including rabies and canine
distemper).
Conservation Measures in Place
None.
References
Suwal and Verheugt 1995, Sillero-Zubiri 2004 (and references therein), Chetri 2007,
Nepal Red List of Mammals Field Technicians Workshop 2010,
Kamal Thapa (pers. comm.) 2010, Madhu Chetri (pers. comm.) 2010.
30) Ursus arctos (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Names
Brown Bear (English); Rato Bhalu (Nepali)
Species Description
Largest bear in Nepal. Thick red-brown coat and no
clear chest markings.
Species Ecology
The Brown Bear occurs above the tree line in
barren, grassy and rocky uplands and subalpine and
temperate forests. Brown Bears are omnivorous and
feed on a diet of grasses, leaves, roots and herbs as
well as birds, eggs, insects and some ungulates.
Occasionally they will also take livestock such as
sheep, goat, yak and horses.
Conservation Recommendations
i) Establish the genetic lineage, status and
distribution of the Grey Wolf.
ii) Obtain baseline information on the ecology,
behaviour and ranging patterns of the species through
the use of camera traps and GPS satellite collars.
iii) Obtain baseline information on the food habits;
establish status and distribution of the major prey
species.
iv) Obtain baseline information on potential
threats including existing human-wolf (and other
predators) conflict and declining prey-base, and
develop effective mitigation strategies.
v) Conduct awareness programmes among the communities
residing within the wolf’s range about the
importance of the species and highlight
misconceptions and traditional beliefs.
vi) Train and mobilise local community members to
control carcass poisoning.
vii) Improve guarding systems to minimise livestock
losses and disseminate the knowledge of wolf range
and habitats to the herders.
viii) Develop livestock compensation schemes to
mitigate human-carnivore conflict.
ix) Develop conservation action plans with a
trans-boundary component for the species.
Brown Bears have an average age at first
reproduction of five years and can reproduce
throughout their life, giving birth to a litter of
between one to four young after a gestation of
approximately six months. Young stay with the
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