# Asiatic black and Himalayan brown bears in Dhauladhar sanctuary split space, time and diet by season

- Published: 2026-11-13 06:24 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: Asiatic black bear, Himalayan brown bear, Ursus thibetanus, Ursus arctos isabellinus, Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary, niche partitioning, camera-trap data, scat analysis, temporal segregation, Greater Himalayas
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-a447436f5e9fd4141311fe82_asiatic_black_and/

**Two years of camera-trap data and scat analysis in Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary show how two bear species share a landscape with human settlements.**

![Asiatic black and Himalayan brown bears in Dhauladhar sanctuary split space, time and diet by season](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/a233d98648f7a7d4.jpg)
*Niazulkhan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

Researchers studied how the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus) coexist in Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Greater Himalayas, a landscape influenced by human activity. The work, published in BMC Zoology, combined two years of camera-trap data (2023–2024) with scat analysis. [1]

The authors examined seasonal habitat use, activity rhythms, food habits and responses to human settlements within a single multidimensional niche framework. They note that ecological information on large carnivores in such human-modified mountain landscapes remains limited. [1]

## Seasonal overlap in space and time

Spatial overlap between the two species changed with the season. It was lowest in spring, moderate in summer and highest in autumn, and absent in pre-winter, during peak hyperphagia. [1]

Temporal overlap showed the inverse pattern. According to the authors, this points to fine-scale temporal segregation as a way to minimize direct encounters. [1]

Proximity to settlements affected the two species differently. Asiatic black bears were more nocturnal near disturbed areas. Himalayan brown bears kept relatively stable activity patterns and mainly occupied alpine and subalpine habitats away from human influence. [1]

## Diet and its seasonal shifts

Diets of both species were predominantly plant-based, with pronounced seasonal shifts driven by resource phenology. Dietary overlap also varied by season: there was clear segregation in spring, and overlap increased from summer to pre-winter. [1]

The authors conclude that coexistence of the two bears is maintained by seasonally dynamic partitioning along spatial, temporal and trophic niche axes. They stress the benefit of analyzing these axes together in one multidimensional space instead of relying on single-axis approaches in community ecology. [1]

According to the authors, the sanctuary supports a largely intact natural foraging system. For long-term bear conservation they point to maintaining habitat heterogeneity and minimizing human disturbance. [1]

## Sources

1. [BMC Zoology](https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-026-00302-1)
2. [bioengineer.org](https://bioengineer.org/himalayan-bears-coexist-through-seasonal-shifts-in-space-time-and-diet)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-a447436f5e9fd4141311fe82_asiatic_black_and/