Formosan black bear

Formosan black bear
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Ursidae
Genus:	Ursus
Species:	U. thibetanus
Subspecies:	U. t. formosanus
Trinomial name
Ursus thibetanus formosanus R. Swinhoe, 1864[2]
Synonyms
Selenarctos thibetanus formosanus

The Formosan black bear (Chinese: 臺灣黑熊, Ursus thibetanus formosanus), also known as the Taiwanese black bear or white-throated bear, is a subspecies of the Asiatic black bear. It was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1864. Formosan black bears are endemic to Taiwan. They are also the largest land animals and the only native bears (Ursidae) in Taiwan. They are seen to represent the Taiwanese nation.

Because of severe exploitation and habitat degradation in recent decades, populations of wild Formosan black bears have been declining. This species was listed as "endangered" under Taiwan's Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法) in 1989. Their geographic distribution is restricted to remote, rugged areas at elevations of 1,000–3,500 metres (3,300–11,500 ft). The estimated number of individuals is 200 to 600.^[3]