Asian Black Bear

The Asian Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus or Selenarctos thibetanus), also known as the Asiatic Black Bear, Tibetan Black Bear, the Himalayan Black Bear, or the Moon Bear, is a medium sized, sharp-clawed, black-colored bear with a distinctive white or cream "V" marking on its chest. It is a close relative of the American Black Bear with which it is thought to share a European common ancestor. It is called 반달가슴곰 (bandalgaseumgom) in Korean. Asian black bears and American black bears are close relatives. Both American and Asiatic species are thought of as sister taxa. They are more closely related to one another than any other species of bear.