The first scientific and educational story about the gubach bear, written back in the middle of the last century, caused real sensation among Soviet readers. They could not believe that this miraculous beast was a close relative with our clubfoot. And to be honest, this is not surprising, because the gubach resembles a sloth or anteater more than a formidable bear.
However, do not trust the erroneous opinion. According to scientists, the gubach really belongs to the Bear family. Moreover, if you look closely at his habits, the truth immediately floats to the surface.
Where does the gubach bear live?
The birthplace of the beast is South Asia. Moreover, the largest population of this species lives on the territory of modern India. True, animals do not live in one particular region of the country, but are scattered throughout its territory in small groups.
In addition, a large number of furry animals lives in the Himalayan mountains. Because of this, they are often called Himalayan gubach bears. Also, a special subspecies of these creatures lives in Sri Lanka, but since it is slightly different from its relatives, we will talk about it a little later.
Himalayan Gubach Bear: Description
To begin with, the Gubachs are much inferior in size to their brothers. For example, the weight of an adult male rarely exceeds 100 kilograms, while the average weight of a brown bear is 300-350 kg. As for the dimensions of the body, these animals can reach about 1.5-2 meters in length and 60-90 cm in height. At the same time, males greatly exceed their companions both in weight and in size.
By the way, few people know that the Himalayan gubach bear was the prototype for one of the characters in Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli book. So, it was his image that was taken as the basis for the description of the formidable Balu, who took care of the abandoned boy. Here are just a modern version of the story displayed in the film that distorts this fact.
However, back to the appearance of our beast. So, first of all, the gubach bear stands out against the rest of the disproportionate face. The nose of the animal is strongly extended forward, and the large lower lip is clearly striking. Such a physiological peculiarity is needed by the gubach in order to easily get insects even from the deepest holes and crevices.
Almost all bears wear a solid black color, only on their chest they have a small white spot of a V-shape. And since this beast loves a cool climate, its coat is very dense. In addition, near the neck the amount of hair increases greatly, thereby forming a kind of mane.
Gubachi from Sri Lanka
As mentioned above, those individuals that live in Sri Lanka are slightly different from the rest. So, these gubachi bears have much smaller body proportions, which at a meeting immediately becomes noticeable. In addition, they do not have such thick hair on their bodies, as they live in warmer climates. And to top it off, these clubfoot predators do not have a bright spot on their chests.
Otherwise, these bears are like blood brothers. Their habits, diet and lifestyle are completely identical. Therefore, it is not necessary to separate them into separate categories - it is advisable to give a general classification of this type.
All about gubach’s diet
Most of all, the gubach bear loves to eat termites and ants. That is why some scientists initially ranked these animals in the Anteater family. However, as it turned out, it was a wrong conclusion. Nevertheless, the Himalayan gubach bear is an ideal hunter for small insects.
Thanks to its large claws, it easily tears apart the walls of the anthill, reaching its most evil places. Then he blows out all the dust from the holes and licks insects with a narrow long tongue. In this case, in one approach, the bear can destroy the entire colony of termites.
In addition to insects, the sponge bear also consumes various fruits and berries. And in the most difficult times, he switches to sugarcane and plant roots. As for animal food, a hungry bear can ruin a bird's nest or attack a small animal.
The habits and lifestyle of the beast
Gubachi Bears rarely settle on flat lands. They prefer rocky slopes or small forests. At the same time, animals lead mainly a nocturnal lifestyle, as due to the thick coat the daytime heat bothers them too much. It should be noted that this bear has poorly developed vision and hearing. However, acute sense of smell compensates for this deficiency. For example, a gubach can smell even those larvae that are quite deep underground.
In their free time from hunting, bears sleep. As a shelter, they use dense shrubs or natural caves. With the advent of the rainy season, the activity of animals is greatly reduced. During this period, rare food outings are more and more often replaced by hours-long naps. But at the same time, unlike his brown brother, the sponge bear does not fall into hibernation.
