Asiatic black bear

noun

: a bear (Ursus thibetanus) found in Asia that is usually black in color with a whitish, crescent or V-shaped mark on the chest

The foundation is known for its success freeing Asiatic black bears from bile farms in China and Vietnam, where the animals are kept in tiny cages and their gall bladder juices—extracted through an implanted tube—are sold as traditional Chinese medicine.

—Calum MacLeod, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2010

called also moon bear

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

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