The Himalayan Black Bear 



their calls and tried to climb out the ravine, but as I 

 anxiously watched him, in a quandary as to my next 

 move in this fix, which seemed turning into a tragedy, 

 I saw him fall back again, and thus turned my whole 

 attention to the real dangers. By this time the pair 

 were about six paces from me ; picking out the 

 foremost and most savage one, I aimed for his breast 

 and pulled triggers ; he turned a somersault, and I 

 reloaded in a flash, but before the smoke again lifted 

 the pair had reached the ' kine ' grass bordering the 

 glade. One more glance at the huge fellow in the 

 ravine and then I went forward to finish number two, 

 heard moaning in the kine about thirty paces off. I 

 followed their tra!il, along which the grass was bent 

 down, till I was about six paces off, but could only see 

 the grass waving. Another step and I saw l30th. 

 The wounded one lay on his back whilst the other 

 sat at his head and howled in sympathy, pawing him 

 the while as if asking him to move on. I was full 

 in view, but they failed to notice me. There were 

 already two wounded, and I did not wish to have 

 another on my hands." Eventually two members of 

 the party were bagged. 



Like other members of the genus, this bear is a 

 good swimmer, crossing without hesitation rivers of 

 considerable size. The cubs are born in spring, 

 generally in a hollow tree-stem or among dense scrub- 

 jungle. As the period of gestation in other bears is 

 about six months, it is probably of the same approximate 

 duration in this species. This would make the pairing 

 season in the autumn ; and since it is said that old 

 males and females are only found together at the 

 season in question, the fact that I have seen a family 

 party of five in September or October, and that Mr. 

 Darrah {Sport in the Highlands of Kashmir) records 

 seeing four in company in November, serve to support 

 this view. 



Two cub^ are generally produced at a time, which 



385 2C 



