We opportunistically collected and analyzed 80 scats of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) from den entrances and other areas at 2 sites within Hormozgan Province, Iran, from March 2010 to February 2011. We identified 27 food items dominated by cultivated date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit, oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis), and Christ's thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) fruit with frequency of occurrence 55.0%, 30.0%, and 20.0%; and percentage volume 75.0%, 55.8%, and 86.7%, respectively. Our study highlights the potential importance of human-related foods to Asiatic black bear diets. Our findings may help conservation managers to identify areas of notable potential conflict for Asiatic black bears and implement conflict-reducing measures such as installing better protective fences for reducing horticulture loss.
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1 July 2017
Diet of Asiatic black bear in its westernmost distribution range, southern Iran
Taher Ghadirian,
Ali Turk Qashqaei,
Mahmood Soofi,
Hamed Abolghasemi,
Arash Ghoddousi
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Ursus
Vol. 28 • No. 1
July 2017
Vol. 28 • No. 1
July 2017
Asiatic black bear
diet
human–wildlife conflict
Phoenix dactylifera
scat analysis
Ursus thibetanus
Vespa