Gobi bear

The diet of a Gobi Bear is only about 8% animal protein. Gobi bears mainly eat roots, berries, other plants, and sometimes rodents; there is no evidence that they prey on large mammals. Gobi bears are typically solitary, except during the mating season and cub rearing. In general, the bears in the Gobi demonstrate seasonal behaviors: foraging is done during the warmer months, while hibernation with reduced activity is done during the harsh winters. The Gobi bear is small compared to other brown bear subspecies: adult males weigh about and females about . Gobi bears are the only bears that have evolved and adapted to living in such extreme hot desert climates. among the lowest ever observed in any subspecies of brown bear, as it is one of the smallest and most isolated brown bear populations in the world. Levels of genetic diversity similar to those of the Gobi bears have been reported only in a small population of brown bears in the Pyrenees Mountains on the border of Spain and France. == Conservation and research ==

The Gobi bear population is restricted to in areas that are in close proximity to water sources (Reynolds et al. 2010, Luvsamjamba et al. 2016), and the population is isolated from other populations by inhospitable low-elevation deserts, pastoral activities, and human settlements. A supplemental feeding program has been in place since 1985: pellets containing wheat (Triticum aestivum), corn (Zea mays), carrots (Daucus carota sativus), and turnips (Brassica rapa) are provided in spring and autumn at feeders located near selected waterholes throughout the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area (GGSPA). based on mitochondrial short fragment studies. However, whole-genome and larger mitochondrial DNA analyses have revealed that Gobi and Himalayan brown bears are distinct lineages that have a shared ancestry; collectively, they are the oldest lineage in their divergence time from all other brown bears. Habitat loss, climate change, and human encroachment have affected the ecology of the Gobi bear. A total of 51 bears were found during 1996–2018, but the current population size is a relatively stable 31 (95% CI: 29-38) based on the long-term genetic study. According to the Gobi Bear Project, there are fewer than 40 bears remaining in the wild and none in captivity. == References ==