This isn't Africa, but...

My son is watching the movie of The Jungle Book on TV, and, at one point, just as one of the British soldiers is about to shoot the jungle boy Mogli, the soldier is attacked by a tiger and a bear.

But I didn't think there were bears in India. Who is right, me or the movie?

Lloyd,

The movie

http://www.olywa.net/cefprice/slothbear/sloth_bear_page.htm

The Hindi word for bear is ""bhalu", hence the name "Baloo" for the bear in The Jungle Book.

Regards,

Terry

[ 12-08-2002, 21:04: Message edited by: T.Carr ]

T. Carr:

Thanks, especially for the website. I learned something from it!

Sloth bears are without doubt one ugly creasture.

LE270,

We have the sloth bear in the plains and the Himalyan bear up in the northern mountains.

The sloth bear is a most fearsome animal when something goes wrong - one of them could easily fight a tiger - but they are usually docile animals that go around without bothering anyone.

Somehow, bears were never really hunted here and even now are only shot by poachers who smuggle animal parts into Japan, China, etc.

Gentlemen,

I thought black bears are still found in India and pakistan, as well as some other countries in that region?

mehulkamdar,

Thanks for the information.

Saeed,

This link says the Asian Black Bear is also called the Himalayan Bear.

http://www.geobop.com/Mammals/Carnivora/Ursidae/Ursus_thibetanus/

Regards,

Terry

Here is a link on wildlife of Pakistan

http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/wildbears.html#brownbear

There happen to be three locations where one can find the great brown bear (Grizzly) and one location where one can get the Polar bear-in India. Not a lot of people know that.
DJ.

Polar Bear in India!? I'm all ears, DJ.

DISTRIBUTION Polar bears are found throughout the circumpolar Arctic. The farthest south that polar bears live all year round is James Bay in Canada, which is about the same latitude as London, England. During winter, when the polar ic e pack extends further south, polar bears move as far south as Newfoundland and into the northern Bering Sea. They then move back north as the souther edge of the pack ice recedes throughout the summer.

http://www.bearbiology.com/



[ 12-09-2002, 21:51: Message edited by: Nickudu ]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Nickudu:
[QB]Polar Bear in India!? I'm all ears, DJ.

The Zoo in New Delhi had a pretty decent male Polar Bear, as for the Grizzly........
Sorry just couldn't resist it. (Infantile neurosis perhaps?!)
DJ.

Nice one, DJ!

Here's the latest in regard to brown bear distribution:

http://www.grizzlybear.org/gbstatus/griznum.htm

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Nickudu:
Nick,
Cheers for the info.
I am actually facinated by the Grizzly. I saw a full mount in a private collection here, and then went on to order a video on Grizzly hunting from outdoorvisions. One day...
DJ.

LE 270,
I suspect the sloth-like configuration of the protracted front claws has much to do with it, along with the fact that climbing is a routine activity. The musculature of a bear, armed with huge, razor sharp claws and a short fuse, makes for a nasty combination. I read somewhere that they sometimes get so engrossed in their activities, that they fail to detect an enemy, as well as they might, resulting in their being startled, .... not a good thing when it comes to bears. I also read that, while a mature tiger will make short work of them under ideal circumstances, as prime predators, they will not often risk injury by tangling with such tough customers. I can't, off hand, think of any such counterpart mammal in Africa, that lions need contend with, one on one. For sure, an aroused bruin is a terrifying sight.