Bears can be found throughout the world, except in Africa and Australia. These are generally large animals with a big body, short legs, round ears and forward facing eyes. The bears are as old as 40 million years. The fossils of the earliest known bear 'Ursavus elemensis' was found in Miocene Epoch in Europe. This animal was small, the size of a dog and all the modern bears are known to be the descendants of the Ursavus elemensis. There are eight species of bears living in the world today. Bears are classified as carnivores, with each species having a variable degree of herbivorous tendency.

The bears world over are under tremendous pressure and their numbers are decreasing day by day. The loss of habitat , man - animal conflicts , their use in entertainment as dancing bears in Asia and Europe, bear baiting in Pakistan and use in medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine -TCM) and food in countries like China , Korea , etc., are responsible for the decline in the bear population.

The bear bile is believed to cure a lot of ailments like cirrhosis of liver, jaundice, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, tooth decay and eye infections. This belief is however not scientific and is misleading. There are about 8000 Asiatic Bears in the bear farms in South East Asia today. The bear paw soup is considered a delicacy in the Chinese Restaurants.